AS 


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The 


ART  OF  Engraving 

A Practical  Treatise 

ON  THE  Engraver’s  Art,  with  Special  Reference 
TO  Letter  and  Monogram  Engraving 


SPECIALLY  COMPILED 

As  a Text-Book  for  Students  and  Reference  Book  and 
Guide  for  Engravers 


Ol^ER  TIVO  HUNDRED  ORIGINAL  ILLUSTRATIONS 


SECOND  EDITION 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  KEYSTONE 

THE  ORGAN  OF  THE  JEWEERY  AND  OPTICAE  TRADES 
19th  & Brown  Sts.,  Phieadelphia,  U.S.A. 

1904 


All  Rights  Reserved 


%yOO.^y..i 


PREFACE  TO  SECOND  EDITION 


The  great  need  which  existed  for  a masterful  treatise  on 
practical  engraving  has  been  conclusively  proved  by  the  quick  sale 
of  the  first  edition  of  this  work.  Such  has  been  the  demand  for  it 
that  the  entire  first  edition  has  been  sold  within  one  year  from  the 
date  of  publication,  an  unusual  record  of  sales  in  the  case  of  a 
purely  technical  treatise.  The  explanation  lies  in  the  merit  of  the 
book  and  in  the  fact  that  previous  to  its  publication  there  was  no 
treatise  available  which  could  be  truthfully  described  as  thoroughl}^ 
covering  this  important  subject.  The  want  of  a standard  text-book 
on  the  art  of  engraving  was  greatly  felt  by  teachers  and  students 
alike,  and  it  was  to  supply  this  want,  as  well  as  to  aid  in  the 
advancement  of  the  art  itself,  that  this  w'ork  w^as  undertaken. 

It  means  much  for  the  student  that  the  author  of  this  book  had 
the  dual  qualification  of  being  an  expert  engraver  and  a successful 
instructor  of  engraving.  This  ensures  at  the  same  time  accuracy 
and  reliability  of  matter  and  such  a course  of  instruction  as  expe- 
rience has  proved  to  be  most  effective  in  enabling  the  student  to 
master  the  art. 

A helpful  feature  of  the  work  is  an  unusual  abundance  of 
original  and  carefully-executed  illustrations. 


The  Publisher 


Copyright,  1903,  by  B.  Thorpk, 
Publisher  of  The  Keystone. 


Entereo  at  Stationers’  Hall,  Tondon,  Eng. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introductory  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Mechanical  Drawing 13 

CHAPTER  III. 

Tools  and  Materials  for  the  Beginner 23 

CHAPTER  IV. 

First  Exercises  in  Engr.wing 30 

CHAPTER  V. 

Block  Letters 35 

CHAPTER  YL 

Methods  of  Cutting  Block  Letters 40 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Script  Letters 47 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Cutting  Sm.yll  or  Lower-Case  Script  Letters 54 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Formation  of  the  Script  Capitals 61 

CHAPTER  X. 

Looped  Script ' 68 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  PRACTIC.A.L  Use  of  Script  Letters 76 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Engraving  Coffin  Plates  in  Script ; ......  80 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Engraving  on  Thimblp:s  .vnd  Inside  of  Rings 86 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Engraving  Inscriptions  in  Script 91 


6 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Old  English 97 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Method  of  Cutting  Old  English loi 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Some  Uses  and  Styles  of  Old  English iii 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Roman  Letters 117 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Odd  Letters ...121 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Engraving  in  Spoons  and  on  Bangles 127 

CHAPTER  XXL 

Shaded  Old  English 134 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Engraing  Script  Inscriptions 143 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Inscriptions  in  Diffp:rent  Styles  of  Letters 151 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Engraving  on  Spoon  Handles 155 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Letters  on  Spoon  Handles  and  Lockets 162 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Designing  and  Engraving  Ciphers 165 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Entwined  AxNd  Ornamental  Ciphers 174 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Parallel  Line  Ciphers 180 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Flower  I.eaf  Ciphers 184 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Block  Ciphers 187 


THE  ART  OF  ENGRAVING 


THE  ART  OF  ENGRAVING. 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

In  taking  up  the  study  of  engraving  with  a determination  to 
thoroughly  master  the  art  it  may  be  interesting  to  look  back  over 
the  fading  pages  of  history  and  learn  whence  this  art  came.  If  we 
read  the  traditional  story  of  prehistoric  man  down  to  and  including 
the  men  of  the  stone  age  we  learn  that  back  in  those  dark  ages 
when  no  other  implements  or  tools  were  known  save  those  made 
from  stone,  some  of  the  men  of  the  period  were  spending  their 
leisure  time  whittling  weapons  and  engraving  on  stone  the  forms  of 
animals  with  which  they  were  familiar. 

It  is  difficult  for  the  modern  engraver  sitting  in  the  front 
window  of  a beautifully  decorated  jewelry  store  to  conceive  that 
the  art  of  engraving  had  its  birth  amongst  the  cave-dwellers  of  the 
stone  age,  and  that  the  first  engraving  tool  was  the  hard  stone  with 
which  softer  stones  were  engraved.  But  so  it  was,  for  we  have 
proof  in  abundance  that  the  art  of  engraving  was  known  to  men 
before  the  discovery  of  metals  and  previous  to  the  bronze  age. 

This  most  beautiful  art, -therefore,  being  the  oldest  known  to 
man  and  one  which  has  come  down  through  the  centuries  gaining 
in  excellence,  popularity  and  prestige,  it  behooves  the  student  who 
decides  to  study  engraving  and  to  follow  it  as  a business  or  a de- 
partment connected  with  his  business  to  realize  that  he  is  dealing 
not  with  a mere  trade,  but  with  an  art  difficult  of  mastery  and 
capable  of  limitless  development. 

ADVICE  TO  BEGINNERS. 

Considering  the  advantages  with  which  man  is  blessed  in  this 
age  of  higher  education,  beginners  should  so  begin  that  the 
work  which  they  do  from  the  very  start  may  be  of  permanent  ad- 
vantage to  them.  Mention  of  this  is  deemed  advisable  thus  early 
because  it  is  a well  known  fact  that  there  are  many  who  have  been 


9 


lO 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


doing  “ engraving”  for  years  with  no  apparent  advancement.  To 
begin  right  is  the  first  step  towards  success,  and  such  a beginning 
is  not  only  advisable,  but  imperative,  for  we  are  living  in  a century 
that  demands  from  all  artisans  the  most  thorough  workmanship. 
The  standard,  too,  is  becoming  more  exacting.  Indeed,  the  art 
has  progressed  so  rapidly  in  recent  years  that  it  has  reached  a high 
point  of  perfection,  far  in  advance  of  the  workmanship  accomplished 
in  earlier  times. 

The  student  to-day  should  begin  by  learning  the  rudiments, 
that  most  valuable  foundation  which  so  many  overlook.  He  must, 
if  he  ever  hopes  to  be  master  of  his  chosen  profession,  become 
familiar  with  and  an  adept  in  all  the  details  of  the  work  which  are 
the  stepping  stones  leading  up  to  a high  degree  of  perfection.  Such 
thorough  study  and  mastery  of  detail  are  essential,  too,  as  the 
means  by  which  the  most  perfect  work  is  accomplished  in  the  least 
time.  It  is  a fact  that  cannot  be  disputed  that  the  great  leaders  of 
recent  years  in  many  professions,  trades  or  businesses  are  those  who 
have  given  strict  attention  to  the  study  of  little  things,  or  the  details 
appertaining  to  their  work,  and  by  so  doing  have  mastered  the 
work  in  much  less  time  than  they  could  have  done  so  with  any  sat- 
isfaction by  the  stumbling-over  method.  It  has  been  the  privilege 
and  experience  of  all  teachers  of  engraving  to  observe  students 
study  and  practice  in  both  the  thorough  and  the  careless  method, 
and  the  observation  has  proved  that  the  student  going  about  his 
work  with  a determination  and  a knowledge  of  the  rudiments  is  the 
one  who  masters  his  work  in  the  least  time  and  the  one  whose 
finished  work  is  complete  and  correct.  Following  this  mode  of 
procedure  the  engraver  does  not  find  it  necessary  to  retrace  his 
steps,  ‘ ‘ patch  up  ’ ’ and  tamper  with  his  work  after  it  has  passed 
the  finishing  stages. 

The  necessity  of  beginning  aright  and  following  technical  lines 
cannot  be  too  thoroughly  impressed  upon  the  student’s  mind.  To 
the  knowledge  of  the  author  there  have  been  men  connected  with  the 
jewelry  business  for  thirty  or  thirty-five  years,  during  which  time 
they  have  made  an  attempt  to  engrave  (if  the  term  may  be  used 
without  discredit  to  the  art)  all  the  goods  they  sold  that  called  for 
engraving.  After  these  years  of  nervous  strain  on  all  sides  they  are 
aroused  from  their  slumbers  and  find  that  the  reason  they  cannot 
do  better  after  so  much  practice  is  because  they  did  not  know  how 
to  do  any  of  the  work  correctly,  and  they  were  willing  to  admit 


Introductory, 


1 1 

that  a few  of  the  necessary  beginning  points,  if  explained  and  fol- 
lowed, would  have  enabled  them  to  accomplish  much  better  work 
in  much  less  time.  How  many  pieces  of  gold  and  silver  go  forth 
from  a jewelry  store  simply  to  proclaim  the  awkwardness  and  in- 
ability of  the  engraver?  And  if  we  compare  such  work  with  the 
beautiful  specimens  taken  from  some  of  our  high-class  stores  we  are 
convinced  at  once  that  the  former  show  the  lack  of  knowledge  of 
the  first  lessons  while  the  latter  show  the  highest  degree  of  adherence 
to  the  strict  rules  of  detail. 

TECHNICAL  TRAINING. 

There  are  many  technical  points  connected  with  learning  the 
art  of  engraving  correctly  and  thoroughly  that  may  be  considered 
unnecessary  by  many  of  our  readers.  It  is  true  that  some  may 
not  be  able  to  foresee  wherein  some  one  particular  point  to  which 
attention  will  be  called  will,  in  time  to  come,  be  of  value  to  him, 
nevertheless,  the  knowledge  will  help  him  in  many  ways,  and  at 
times  when  he  is  least  aware  of  the  necessity  or  advantage  of  it. 
Thus,  readers  who  follow  this  work  to  the  end  will  find  only  such 
technicalities  as  are  advantageous  and  worthy  of  careful  consideration. 

For  instance,  some  readers  may  deem  it  unnecessary  to  possess 
any  knowledge  of  geometry  or  mechanical  drawing  to  master  the 
art  of  engraving.  While  it  is  true  that  there  are  a great  many 
high-class  artists  who  have  overlooked  some  of  these  points,  yet  it 
is  possible  that,  had  they  deemed  it  advisable  at  the  beginning  to 
study  the  little  points  in  geometry,  they  would  have  executed  the 
work  even  better  and  easier.  The  error  of  not  beginning  properly 
by  the  thorough  study  of  the  preliminaries 
and  technicalities  can  be  proven  in  many 
cases,  but  one  reference  will  suffice.  We 
will  suppose  the  engraver  has  to  engrave 
a duplicate  of  a watch  dial  on  the  front 
case  of  a watch  to  enable  the  owner  to 
see  the  time  by  cutting  out  a small  hole 
over  the  center  of  the  timepiece,  as  shown 
in  the  demi-hunter  here  illustrated.  An 
instance  of  this  came  to  the  attention  of 
the  author  a few  years  since,  it  being  nec- 
essary to  engrave  on  the  outside  of  the 
front  case  a fac-simile  of  the  watch  dial. 


12 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


Now,  if  we  have  no  knowledge  of  mechanical  drawing  how  are 
we  to  do  the  work  with  such  accuracy  and  rapidity  as  we  would 
if  we  were  the  happy  possessors  of  such  knowledge.  It  can  be 
done  by  guess  work,  but  not  with  that  degree  of  accuracy  that 
would  be  required  by  the  customers  who  patronize  high-class  stores. 
While,  on  the  other  hand,  it  could  be  easily  accomplished  by  one 
with  but  a little  knowledge  of  mechanical  drawing,  which  it  will  be 
our  pleasure  to  illustrate  in  another  chapter.  There  are  hundreds 
of  cases  where  such  information  will  be  found  necessary.  This 
being  true,  and  considering  the  short  time  required  to  learn  this 
branch,  why  neglect  it  ? It  is  safe  to  say  that  some  engravers  spend 
more  time  in  three  months  correcting  errors  that  could  be  avoided 
if  they  had  some  knowledge  of  mechanical  drawing  than  would  be 
required  to  gain  such  knowledge.  This  treatise  will,  however,  be 
written  with  only  such  mention  and  description  of  geometrical 
problems  and  other  detail  work  as  are  considered  by  the  author 
necessary  to  expert  work,  and  the  judgment  dictating  these  details 
is  based  upon  years  of  observation  and  practical  instructing.  There 
are  many  ambitious  young  men,  to-day,  who  would  find  their  work 
a pleasure  if  they  had  been  properly  trained  in  their  work  in  the 
beginning. 

Appealing  to  the  good  judgment  of  the  reader  to  admit  the 
advisability  of  thoroughness,  it  will  be  the  author’s  pleasure  to 
direct  the  reader  correctly  and  with  rapidity.  The  age  in  which  we 
live  demands  care  and  knowledge,  and  it  is  necessary  that  those 
desirous  of  learning  the  art  of  engraving  should  have  at  their 
disposal  written  instructions  outlining  the  detail  of  the  work  in  such 
a manner  that  the  treatise  will  be  not  merely  a text-book  for  the 
beginner,  but  a guide  and  book  of  reference  for  the  qualified 
engraver. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  art  of  engraving,  especially  in  mono- 
gram and  ornamental  work,  depends  largely  upon  the  artistic  skill 
of  the  engraver,  it  is  also  a fact  that  those  possessing  such  artistic 
ideas  have  passed  through  an  early  training  of  a character  sufficiently 
technical  to  give  to  a fertile  brain  and  correct  eye  a broad  conception 
of  the  art.  Taking  for  granted,  therefore,  that  an  elementary 
knowledge  of  the  art  of  drawing  and  an  ability  to  represent  outlines 
by  simple  lines  are  among  the  accomplishments  -a  novice  should 
possess  before  proceeding  with  practical  engraving,  we  will  illustrate 
and  describe  such  as  are  deemed  advisable. 


CHAPTER  II. 


MECHANICAL  DRAWING. 


At  Fig.  I is  illustrated  an  instrument  known  as  a protractor, 
which  is  used  for  measuring  or  laying  off  angles,  or  for  dividing 
circles  into  a number  of  equal  parts.  The  outer  edge  of  the  pro- 
tractor is  a semi-circle  whose 
center  is  O and  is  divided  into 
360  parts,  each  therefore  being 
equal  to  half  a degree.  There 
are  also  protractors  which  are 
divided  into  180  parts,  one-half 
of  a circle,  in  which  case  each 
part  would  represent  a degree. 
Should  we  wish  to  use  a protractor  to  measure  or  lay  off  an  angle, 
we  must  place  it  so  that  the  edge  O B will  coincide  with  the  line 
that  forms  one  side  of  the  angle  to  be  laid  off  or  measured,  and  the 
center  O will  form  the  vertex  of  the  angle.  For  example,  suppose 
we  desire  to  lay  off  on  an  angle  of  45°  with  a line  C D 2X  the 
point  M,  Fig.  2,  .we  would  in  such  case  lay  the  protractor  on  the 
paper  with  the 
edge  O B,  to  co- 
incide with  the 
line  at  the  point 
M\  then  we 
would  make  a 
mark  with  a sharp 
pencil  at  the  45° 
division  on  the 

outer  edge  of  the  protractor,  as  indicated  at  H,  as  that  we  wish  to 
lay  off*.  Now  a line  drawn  from  such  a point  through  to  the  center 
Af  will  make  the  required  angle. 

One  of  the  first  instruments  aside  from  the  protractor  that  the 
beginner  in  drawing  should  have,  is  a square  known  as  a carpenter’s 
square.  For  engravers’  use  one  three  inches  horizontally  and  two 
inches  perpendicularly  would  answer  very  nicely.  Such  a square 
could  be  made  of  celluloid  by  the  aid  of  mechanical  drawing  or  by 


13 


H 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


the  use  of  a steel  square.  The  object  of  suggesting  celluloid  is  that 
it  is  pliable  and  would  conform  to  some  of  the  uneven  surfaces 
which  the  engravers  have  to  deal  with  with  some  degree  of  accu- 
racy ; but  it  must  be  remembered  that  a metal  square  is  far  more 
accurate,  as  it  is  perfectly  solid  and  firm. 

The  beginner  should  also  possess  a parallel  rule,  shown  at 
Fig.  3.  These  rules  could  be  easily  made,  or  can  be  purchased  at 
any  book  store.  He  should  also  have  a 6-H  pencil,  or  one  equally 


Fig.  3 


hard,  and  two  pencils  of  a softer  lead.  A pair  of  compasses  of 
good  quality  is  also  one  of  the  instruments  with  which  a beginner 
should  familiarize  himself  and  have  in  his  stock  of  tools.  Triangles, 
such  as  shown  at  Fig.  4,  are  made  in  celluloid  and  can  be  purchased 
at  book  stores.  All  beginners  should  have  such  an  instrument, 
which,  if  it  cannot  be  conveniently  purchased,  can  be  easily  made. 

Mechanical  drawings  are  usually  made  by  the  aid  of  a drawing- 
board,  which  will  simplify  and  facilitate  the  work.  I would  advise 


the  beginner,  in  learning  to  make  accurate  drawings,  to  use  a 
drawing-board,  a diagram  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  5.  Drawing- 
boards  are  usually  made  of  some  soft  wood.  Well-seasoned  white 
pine  of  straight  grain  is  considered  good.  The  grain  should  run 
lengthwise  of  the  board  and  should  be  free  from  knots,  so  that  it 
will  easily  receive  the  thumb  tacks  used  to  fasten  down  the  corners 
of  the  paper.  The  surface  should  be  flat  and  smooth,  in  order  that 


Mccha^iical  Drawing. 


5 


the  paper  will  lie  smoothly  and  close  to  the  board.  The  edges 
should  be  smooth  and  must  form  right  angles  one  with  the  other. 
To  prevent  warping,  strips  should  be  tongued  into  the  ends,  as 
shown  at  Fig.  6.  This  board  should  be  about  12x18  inches. 


The  T-square,  shown  at  A,  is  used  for  drawing  horizontal 
straight  lines.  In  using  it  the  short  piece  of  square  is  placed 
against  the  left  edge  of  the  drawing-board,  as  shown  at  Fig.  5,  and 
the  upper  edge  of  the  blade  is  brought  over  near  to  the  point 
through  which  the  line  is  to  be  drawn,  so  that  a straight  edge  of 
the  blade  can  be  used  as  a guide  for  the  pencil  in  making  such 
lines.  If  the  edge  of  the  drawing-board  is  constructed  as  it 
should  be,  all  lines  drawn  in 
this  manner  must  of  necessity 
be  parallel.  Now  we  will  sup- 
pose that  it  is  desired  to  make 
lines  parallel  or  at  right  angles 
with  these  parallel  horizontal 
lines.  In  this  case  the  triangle 
illustrated  at  Fig.  4 and  shown 
also  at  Fig.  5,  resting  against 
the  T-square,  is  used.  The 
edge  of  the  triangle  slides  freely 
along  the  edge  of  the  blade  of 
the  T-square  and,  by  virtue  of 


i6 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


the  high  degree  of  accuracy  of  its  shape,  the  lines  drawn  along  the 
left  side  of  it  must  necessarily  be  perfectly  perpendicular.  The 
object  of  making  these  lines  in  this  way  is  that,  if  equi-distant,  they 
can  be  used  for  increasing  or  decreasing  the  size  of  an  object  by 
the  process  which  is  often  used  in  enlarging  and  diminishing  large 
paintings,  such  as  the  paintings  on  the  curtains  of  a theater  or 
others  of  like  character. 

The  process  thus  described  is  as  follows  : Draw  across  the 

original  picture  a number  of  equi-distant  and  horizontal  lines 
forming  perfect  squares  and  number  the  two  sets  of  lines  in  succes- 
sion, as  shown  at  Fig.  7 ; then  draw  a simple  series  of  lines  on  a 
clean  sheet  of  paper,  setting  the  lines  an  equal,  a greater  or  a less 
distance  apart  and  copy  in  succession  the  parts  of  the  figure  that 
are  enclosed  within  the  several  squares.  At  Fig.  7 such  drawings 

are  illustrated  in  the  two 
sizes,  which  will  explain 
this  method.  As  it  is  not 
always  possible  to  draw 
lines  across  a figure,  they 
may  be  replaced  by  a frame 
carrying  fine  threads  or 
wires  stretched  in  the  two 
directions.  The  frame  can  be  laid  oyer  the  original  drawing,  which 
can  then  be  copied,  as  we  have  explained,  on  a sheet  of  paper 
divided  into  squares.  Having  placed  the  frame  above  or  in  front 
of  the  object  and  in  contact  with  it,  copy  011  to  the  sectional  paper 
the  contents  of  each  corresponding  square,  taking  care  to  look  at 
each  perpendicularly.  With  a little  practice  and  by  placing  in 
a correct  position  with  and  always  at  the  same  distance  from  the 
frame,  a distance  which  may  be  regulated  by  a glass,  a sketch  may, 
in  fair  proportions,  be  obtained.  This  method  of  enlarging  or 
diminishing  the  size  of  objects  may  not  be  of  much  value  to  most 
engravers,  but  cases  will  arise  in  which  a knowledge  of  such  a 


method  will  be  useful. 

The  T-square  is  made  of  hard  wood,  rubber  or  steel  and 
should  be  of  a simple  pattern,  as  shown  at  Fig.  5 b.  The 
T-square  should  be  provided  with  a hole  at  the  end  for  hanging 
up  when  not  in  use,  and  should  always  be  suspended  by  the  blade, 
through  which  the  hole  is  made,  as  shown.  Great  care  should  be 
exercised  with  all  drawing  instruments. 


Mechanical  Drawing. 


17 


MECHANICAL  DRAWING  EXERCISES. 


One  of  the  first  things  for  a beginner  to  draw  is  a square, 
which  is  made  as  follows  : First  draw  a horizontal  line  measuring 
3 inches  long,  then  erect  perpendiculars  3 inches  long  at  A and  B, 
using  the  triangle  shown  at  Fig.  4 ; then 
draw  C D 2X  extremities  of  the  perpendicu- 
lars, which  completes  the  square,  Fig.  8. 

The  next  exercise  would  be  drawing 
circles,  which  can  be  done  with  great  accu- 
racy with  the  compasses  of  their  various 
sizes.  The  student  should  bear  in  mind  that 
in  drawing  circles  with  the  cbmpasses  that 
the  hand  should  incline  the  compasses  solely 
in  the  direction  in  which  they  are  moved. 


Fig.  s 


circle,  mark  on  the 
circumference  or  on  the 
arc  three  points,  ABC; 
next  join  A to  B,  B to 
C ; at  the  middle  points 
of  these  lines  erect  per- 
pendiculars. (The 
middle  points  are  de- 
termined in  the  man- 
ner explained  for 
erecting  a perpendic- 
ular, Fig.  12,  except- 
ing that  the  intersect- 
ing arcs  are  described 
on  both  sides  of  the 


In  making  equi-lateral  triangle, 
as  shown  at  Fig.  9,  draw  a horizon- 
tal line  D D oi  any  desired  length  ; 
then  take  iT  as  a center  and  D E sls 
a radius  and  describe  an  arc  ; then 
take  D as  3.  center  and  D E as  a 
radius  and  describe  an  arc.  Now 
from  the  point  E,  where  the  two  arcs 
intersect,  draw  lines  to  the  points 
D and  E.  To  find  the  center  of  a 


i8 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


line,  the  perpendicular  being  a line  joining  these  points  at  the  inter- 
section. ) The  point  of  intersection  of  these  perpendiculars  will  be 

the  center.  A like  method  can  be  used 
when  desired  to  describe  a circle  passing 
through  any  three  given  points,  shown  at 
Fig.  lo. 

To  draw  a spiral  curve  draw  four 
lines  forming  a small  square,  as  shown 
at  Fig.  II.  O is  taken  as  a center  of  the 
first  arc  D Af;  C is  the  center  of  Af  E ; 
f/  of  E H;  D oi  HS;  then,  to  con- 
tinue, the  curve  O is  once  again  taken 
as  the  center  of  .S  and  so  on.  This 
method  produces  a volute  in  which  the  coils  are  at  a considerable 
distance  apart. 


on 


To  erect  a perpendicular 
a straight  line,  either  com- 


E- 

Fis.  12 


passes  or  a straight  square  can 
be  employed.  The  use  of  the 
latter  is  so  simple  that  no  fur- 
ther reference  need  be  made  to 
it.  Let  us  assume  E,  Fig.  12, 
to  be  the  point  in  the  line  A B 
at  which  a perpendicular  is  to  be 

drawn  : on  either  side  of  E measure  off  equal  distances  E A,  E B, 
from  A and  B ; with  any  radius  greater  than  E B or  E A draw 

two  arcs  intersecting 
at  E.  If  their  point 
of  intersection,  E,  be 
joined  to  E,  the  line 
E E will  be  the  re- 
quired perpendicular. 

To  divide  a line 
into  any  number  of 
equal  parts  we  pro- 
ceed as  follows  : Let 

A B be  the  given  line 
to  be  divided.  With 

any  convenient  angle  to  A B draw  A C oi  indefinite  length.  On 


Q 


A C lay  off  the  required  number  of  equal  parts. 


From  the  last 


Mechanical  Drawing. 


19 


point  of  division,  as  i^(the  angle  MBA  can  be  any  magnitude), 
draw  M B through  the  extremity  of  A B as  B.  Then  through 
points  //,  G,  /^and  E,  respectively,  draw  lines  parallel  to  MB 
and  cutting  A B 2X  S\  B,  Q,  P and  N respectively.  Then  A N= 
JV  P = P Q = P S = SB;  therefore,  A B is  divided  into  the 
required  number  of  equal  parts  (Fig.  13). 

This  problem  can  also  be  used  to  divide  A B into  parts  pro- 
portional to  given  lines  or  parts  by  laying  off 
on  A C the  required  lengths  and  passing  a line 
through  the  extreme  division  and  the  extremity 
oi  A B ; then  draw  parallels  as  in  the  foregoing 
problem. 

How  to  describe  and  engrave  circles  is  the 
next  point  for  consideration.  At  Fig.  14  is 
shown  a series  of  circles  which  should  be 
drawn  with  the  compasses  by  scratching  on  the 
metal.  After  they  have  been  scratched  in  this  way  they  are  en- 
graved with  a square  graver,  making  a fine  hair  line  all  the  way  around. 
After  some  practice  in  cutting  them  from  the  previously-made  design, 
they  should  be  engraved  without  any  design.  This  class  of  work 
will  come  under  the  head  of  beginning  exercises.  It  is  good  prac- 
tice for  the  beginner  to  draw  a series  of  such  circles  as  these,  of 
various  diameters,  in  order  to  accustom  himself  to  the  use  of 
compasses,  which,  though  accomplished  by  a simple  movement  of 

the  hand,  yet  requires  some  skill 
to  execute  dexterously. 

To  inscribe  a hexagon  (Fig.  15), 
first  describe  a circle  with  any  radius  ; 
then  draw  a horizontal  diameter  CD  ; 
with  C as  center  and  a radius  equal 
to  that  of  the  circle  describe  arcs, 
cutting  the  circle  at  the  points  A and 
E.  Now  with  D as  center  and  with 
the  same  radius  describe  arcs,  cutting 
the  circle  at  the  points  B and  F. 
Lines  drawn  from  A B,  B D,  D E, 
f E,  E C and  C A will  make  chords  forming  the  hexagon, 
A B D E E C A.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  side  of  a hexagon  is 
equal  to  the  radius  of  the  circumscribed  circle,  thus  forming  six 


20 


The  Art  of  Ejigraving. 


equilateral  triangles,  as  C O A C,  any  of  which  can  be  subdivided 
into  any  number  of  equal  parts. 

To  divide  an  angle  into  any  number  of  equal  parts,  we  pro- 
ceed as  follows  (Fig. 
i6)  : Let  C be 
any  angle  ; with  A as 
center  and  any  radius 
3.S  A T>  draw  arc  DE ; 
with  D and  E as  cen- 
ters and  a radius 
greater  than  one-half 
of  angle  B A C,  draw 
arcs  intersecting  at  E; 
a line  drawn  from  the 

point  A through  the  point  E will  bisect  the  angle.  Similarly  the 
angle  B A E can  be  bisected,  and  so  on. 

To  erect  a per-  ^ 

pendicular  at  an  ex- 
tremity of  a given 
straight  line  (Fig. 

17),  let  A B he  any 
given  line.  Then^ 
with  any  radius  as 

C B describe  an  arc  a — 

which  cuts  A B and 
passes  through  the 
point  B and  con- 
tinue the  arc  ; draw  D C and  prolong  to  intersect  arc  at  G \ a line 
drawn  through  G B,  as  E B,  is  the  required  perpendicular. 

To  draw  a tangent  to 
a circle  at  a given  point  in 
the  circumference,  we  pro- 
ceed thus  (Fig.  18)  : A 
tangent  to  a circle  or  other 
curve  is  a line  which 
touches  the  curve  at  the 
point  without  crossing  it. 
Supposing  O to  be  the 
center  of  a circle  3 inches 
in  diameter,  and  P the 


C/ 


Fig.  17 


Mecha7iical  Drawhig. 


21 


point  at  which  it  is  required  to  draw  the  tangent  ; through  O and 
P draw  a dotted  line  and  prolong  this  line  outside  the  circle  a dis- 
tance P Q equal  to  the  radius  of  the  circle.  This  bisector  will  pass 
through  P and  be  a tangent  to  the  circle  at  that  point.  This 
problem  may  be  constructed  by  making  O Q 2.  definite  length  and 
then  drawing  a perpendicular  to  it  at  the  point  P. 

To  inscribe  a square  in  a given 
circle  (Fig.  19),  draw  a circle  3 inches 
m diameter  ; with  a T-square  and  45° 
triangle,  draw  the  diameters  A C,  B D 
at  right  angles  to  each  other  and  each 
at  45°  to  the  horizontal  ; join  the  ends 
of  these  diameters,  and  the  inscribed 
figure  will  be  the  required  square. 

To  draw  an  ellipse  should  also  be 
part  of  the  knowledge  of  the  beginner 
(Fig.  20).  An  ellipse  is  a curved  plane 

figure,  the  shape  of  which  is  often  used  in  engraving.  Such  articles 
as  pin  trays,  bread  trays  and  servers  are  often  made  in  this  shape, 
and  especially  for  die  cutting  the  outline  of  an  ellipse  is  often  used 

for  circumscribing  a monogram.  To 
draw  a perfect  ellipse  3 inches  long, 
draw  A B 2 inches  long  and  place  a pin 
upright  in  the  drawing-board  at  each 
end  of  A B ; now  double  a strong 
thread,  silk  is  preferred,  and  tie  a knot 
in  the  double  thread  so  that  the  loop 
will  be  exactly  2j4  inches  long.  (This 
may  require  a few  trials  to  do  nicely. ) 
Place  the  looped  thread  over  the  pins 
and  with  a pencil-point  draw  the  string 
straight,  as  at  C ; then  pass  the  pencil  around  as  is  shown  by  the 
arrow,  keeping  the  thread  always  taught  ; the  curve  traced  by  the 
pencil  point  will  be  a perfect  ellipse. 

It  is  said  that  if  we  draw  a circle  on  a card-board  and  then  cut 
it  out  and  hold  it  squarely  before  the  face,  it  will  appear  circular  ; 
but  if  we  tip  it  in  any  direction,  so  that  one  edge  approaches  the 
eye,  it  will  no  longer  appear  circular,  but  elliptical.  We  learn 
from  this  that  an  ellipse  may  be  any  shape  between  a true  circle  and 
a straight  line.  The  method  shown  in  Fig.  20  is  not  a convenient 


22 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


B 


one  and  is  here  given  only  because  it  traces  a perfect  ellipse  and 
shows  the  correct  proportion.  There  are  several  methods  of  draw- 
ing an  ellipse  nearly  accurate,  but  the  most  convenient  is  that 
where  the  curve  is  made  up  of  arcs  smoothly  joined.  The  method 
above  described  for  drawing  an  ellipse  is  very  useful  for  drawing 
such  outlines  for  die  cutting  as  will  be  referred  to  later  on. 

To  draw  an  ellipse  by  means  of  circular  arcs  (Fig.  21),  draw 
A B,  the  major  axis,  3 inches  long,  and  C D,  the  minor  axis,  2 
inches  long,  and  at  right  angles  to  ^ at  its  center  O ; from  B 

lay  B I equal  to  C D,  and  di- 
vide I A into  three  equal  parts. 
This  can  be  most  conveniently 
done  by  trial  with  the  dividers  ; 
from  O lay  ofi  0 h and  o each 
equal  to  two  of  the  three  parts 
just  found  ; from  a and  b,  with  a b 
as  a radius,  draw  arcs  intersecting 
at  e and  f \ next,  from  e and  f are 
drawn  dotted  lines  through  a and  b^ 
which  are  prolonged  some  distance 
lo  c d h and  i ; now  from  <?,  with  the  radius  e C,  draw  the  arc  c C d, 
and  from  f in  like  manner  the  arc  h D i\  from  B,  with  a radius 
B d,  strike  a short  arc  across  A B,  which  will  intersect  very  near  b ; 
from  this  last  intersection  as  a center  draw  the  arc  d B i \ in  a 
similar  way  find  the  center  for  and  draw  the  arc  c A h.  These  four 
arcs  complete  a regular  ellipse. 

Sufficient  has  been  said  of  the  advisability  of  these  few  exercises 
in  mechanical  drawings  to  make  further  mention  unnecessary,  but 
in  the  course  of  his  studies  the  student  will  observe  that  a knowl- 
edge of  right  angles,  perpendiculars,  arcs  and  circles  will  be  of 
much  value  to  him. 


CHAPTER  III. 


TOOLS  AND  MATERIALS  FOR  THE  BEGINNER. 

In  beginning  the  exercises  in  engraving,  the  student  should 
first  supply  himself  with  a small  bottle  or  brick  of  Chinese  white, 
which  can  be  obtained  at  any  art  store.  This  Chinese  white  is 
used  by  wetting  the  finger  and  rubbing  on  the  white  and  thus 
transferring  it  to  the  metal  upon  which  he  desires  to  engrave,  by 
rubbing  a thin  coating  over  the  same.  This  white  dries  almost 
instantaneously  and  leaves  a pure  white  surface,  upon  which  any  design 
can  be  drawn  with  a pencil,  after  which  it  can  be  scratched  on 
with  a stylus  or  engraved  directly  through  the  Chinese  white  and 
then  washed  off.  This  method  of  designing  is  very  useful  for  pro- 
tecting the  surfaces  of  some  metals.  Chinese  white  is  most  desirable 
as  a means  of  designing  on  satin-finished  surfaces.  The  student 
should  also  provide  himself  with  a box  of  transfer  wax,  for  the 
making  of  which  there  are  many  different  formulas.  The  writer 
has  found  the  following  to  be  the  best  : 

3 parts  beeswax. 

3 parts  tallow. 

I part  Canada  balsam. 

I part  olive  oil. 

This  wax  is  not  only  used  for  transferring  engraved  designs 
from  one  piece  to  another,  but  is  also  used  to  protect  the  surface  of 
polished  articles  to  design  through  with  a rubber-pointed  stylus. 

Two  pencils,  one  hard  and  one  medium,  should  also  be  among 
the  outfit  of  the  beginner,  together  with  a stylus  and  a straight- 
edge. The  stylus  is  made  of  hard  rubber,  one  end  of  which  is 
steel  and  pointed,  used  in  scratching  on  designs  where  such  method 
is  required.  An  alcohol  lamp  for  heating  wax  should  also  be  on 
the  engraver’s  table.  A cake  of  engraver’s  cement,  a block  of 
hard  wood,  into  which  the  point  of  the  graver  has  to  be  jabbed  to 
remove  the  burr  after  rubbing  on  the  oilstone  ; a fine-grained 
Arkansas  oilstone  free  from  spots,  a sheet  of  oooo  French  emery 
paper,  and  one  sand-bag  pad  of  the  style  shown  at  Fig.  21  a. 
The  emery  paper  is  cut  up  into  slips  about  i inch  wide  and  2 inches 


23 


24 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


long,  and  for  convenience  can  be  cemented  to  a block  of  wood  the 
same  size  or  can  be  used  on  the  work  bench  direct. 

The  time  was  when  engravers 
found  it  necessary  to  make  their  own 
engraving  tools.  At  the  present  time, 
however,  it  is  not  considered  advisable, 
as  they  are  made  in  such  quantities  by 
manufacturers  as  cheapens  their  pro- 
duction to  such  an  extent  that  it  is 
practically  a waste  of  time  for  the  individual  artificer  to  manufacture 
his  own.  Moreover,  he  may  not  be  able  to  select  a good  quality  of 
steel  nor  properly  temper  it. 

The  first  graver  for  the  novice’s  use  is  a square 
graver  of  a No.  6 or  No.  7 size,  or  a taper  graver  if 
preferred.  The  gravers  are  sold  separate  from  the 
handles.  The  pointed  end  of  the  graver  is  driven  into 
the  handle,  leaving  the  graver  the  original  length. 

The  blade  is  inserted  in  the  handle,  so  as  to  appear  as 
shown  at  Fig.  23  ; A and  B are  the  cutting  edges. 

After  placing  the  graver  in  the  handle  in  this  manner 
the  next  step  is  to  find  the  exact  length  for  the  graver. 

This  is  a point  which  has  been  discussed  by  a great 
many  writers  on  the  subject,  and  is  also  a very  weak 
point  with  some  beginners,  they  not  knowing  the  exact 
length.  On  seriously  considering  the  question  and 
arranging  a means  of  measuring  which  will  adapt  itself 
to  any  sized  person,  we  have  found  that  if  the  graver  is  placed  in 
the  end  as  shown  at  Fig.  22,  with  the  handle  in  the  palm  of  the 
hand,  the  oval  part  being  next  to  the  hand,  the  flat  part  downward  ; 

then  the  thumb  be  slided 
down  on  the  blade  of  the 
graver  in  the  direction  of 
the  arrow  as  far  as  possible, 
stretching  the  thumb  to 
its  limit,  and  the  graver 
broken  off  at  that  point, 
the  length  of  the  graver 
thus  shown  is  positively  correct  for  the  hand  which  was  used  as  a 
means  of  measuring.  This  is  true  from  the  fact  that  the  point  of 
the  graver  should  be  as  near  the  end  of  the  thumb  as  is  convenient, 


Tools  and  Materials  for  the  Beginner.  25 

not  protruding  more  than  a few  inches  beyond  the  thumb  when  the 
thumb  is  used  as  a fulcrum,  guide  or  brake  in  actual  execution.  It 
would,  in  this  case,  protrude  about  one-half  inch  beyond  the 
thumb  if  the  measurement  were  made  as  above  described,  because, 
in  making  these  measurements,  the  thumb  was  stretched  down  to 
the  blade  further  than  the  natural  position  of  holding  it  would 
require. 

Having  thus  measured  the  length  of  the  graver  and  broken  it 
off  in  a vise,  we  now  grind  it  on  the  front  on  an  angle  of  45°.  A 
carborundum  wheel  used  on  a small  lathe  about  the  size  of  a foot 
polishing  lathe  used  by  jewelers,  is  a very  convenient  means  of 
grinding  a graver  and  is  much  preferred  to  the  old  method  of  the 


Fig.  24 

grinding  stone.  The  latter,  of  course,  will  suffice  in  the  absence  of 
the  former.  Inasmuch  as  the  carborundum  wheel  is  used 
without  water,  a glass  of  water  can  be  used  for  keeping  the  graver 
cool.  Great  care  should  be  taken,  however,  not  to  heat  the  point 
of  the  graver  to  any  extent,  as  such  heating  would  have  a tendency 
to  deteriorate  the  quality  of  the  steel  for  the  purpose  for  which  it 
would  be  used.  After  the  graver  has  been  ground  off  on  the  front 
as  above  described,  it  is  next  ground  off  on  the  under  side,  B and 
A,  Fig.  24,  the  left  side  of  which  is  shown  at  G,  Fig.  24.  The 
object  in  grinding  the  graver  off  on  the  under  side  in  this  manner 
is  obvious  to  those  who  have  practiced  the  art.  For  the  benefit  of 
the  beginner,  however,  it  may  be  stated  that  if  the  graver  were 
used  without  cutting  it  off  on  the  under  side  in  this  manner,  the 
graver,  not  heeled  up  and  held  on  sufficient  angle  to  cut  a reason- 
able depth  nicely,  would  appear  on  the  angle  as  shown  at  Fig.  25. 
It  is  plain  to  the  novice  that  a graver  on  this  angle  would  not  leave 
sufficient  room  between  the  article  being  engraved  (if  it  were  an 


26 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


article  the  size  of  a coffin  plate  or  any  article  where  the  handle 
would  come  over  such  article)  to  grasp  the  handle  of  the  tool, 
which,  if  properly  grasped,  requires  that  the  fingers  go  around  and 
on  the  under  side  of  the  handle.  It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that 
an  angle  such  as  is  shown  at  Fig.  26,  will  be  required,  and  to  gain 
this  angle  the  graver  must  be  heeled  up  as  described. 

A graver  for  the  various  irregularly-shaped  articles  that  come 
to  the  hands  of  an  engraver  or  jeweler  can  be  heeled  up  to  enable 
the  operator  to  easily  cut  into  any  such  irregularly-shaped  pieces. 
For  illustration,  in  letters  cut  in  the  bottom  of  a bon-bon  dish,  say. 


Fig.  35 


two  inches  depth,  a graver  should  be  heeled  up  still  higher  than 
shown  at  Fig.  25.  In  fact,  some  gravers  are  used  for  cutting  any 
depth  bon-bon  dishes  where  the  top  of  the  graver  is  used  as  the 
front  angle.  This,  of  course,  would  necessitate  the  graver  being 
cut  on  the  under  side  at  an  angle  of  about  60°,  using  the  under 
side  of  the  graver  as  the  horizontal  plane  for  finding  such  angles. 
Gravers  are  cut  out  in  this  way  for  engraving  the  bowls  of  tea 
spoons.  The  graver  should  be  so  ground  on  the  under  side  that 
the  angles  of  the  under  side  would  taper  back  from  the  point  of  the 
graver,  as  shown  at  Fig.  26.  The  object  of  this  is  to  make  the 


angles  of  the  cutting  side  acute,  thus  making  it  easier  to  cut  shade 
strokes.  The  angle  of  the  cutting  sides  of  the  square  graver  can 
be  ground  to  form  either  a square  or  a lozenge-shaped  graver. 
Some  prefer  to  grind  the  under  side  so  as  to  make  the  graver 
perfectly  square.  There  is  no  objection  to  this  shape  ; in  fact,  it  is 
probably  preferred  by  a majority  of  engravers. 

After  the  graver  has  been  thus  ground  it  is  next  sharpened  on 
the  front  on  the  oil  stone  by  holding  in  the  hand  as  shown  at 


Tools  and  Materials  for  the  Beginjier. 


27 


Fig.  27,  moving  the  hand  in  the  direction  of  the  arrows — right  and 
left.  It  is  then  pushed  backward  and  forward  on  the  under  sides 
that  have  been  cut  off  to  smoothen  down  the  rough  surfaces  left  by 
the  grinding  process.  The  under  side  of  the  graver  should  be 
kept  perfectly  flat  at  all  times.  This  is  one  of  the  great  errors 
made  by  the  majority  of  inexperienced  engravers  ; they  are  careless 


Fis.  27 


as  to  the  condition  of  the  under  side  of  the  graver,  which,  in  a 
majority  of  cases,  is  the  cause  of  the  graver  slipping.  In  the 
process  of  whetting  the  graver  on  the  oilstone,  great  care  should  be 
exercised  to  avoid  rounding  the  under  side  of  the  front  of  the 
graver.  These  angles  should  be  sharp  and  clean  and  there  should 
be  only  one  angle.  We  often  see  gravers  that  have  three  or  four 
angles  instead  of  one.  Technical  students  should  appreciate  the 
fact  that  this  condition  of  the  graver  will  cause  no  end  of  trouble. 
After  pushing  the  graver  backward  and  forward  as  described,  if  we 
turn  the  bottom  side  up  and  look  at  the  cutting  edges  of  it,  as  shown 
at  Fig.  24,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  edge  of  the  graver  is  very 
rough,  a magnified  view  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  28. 

Many  beginners  in  engraving  are  cognizant  of  the  fact 
that  it  is  necessary  to  polish  a graver  in  order  to  make 
it  cut  bright,  but  the  author’s  experience  has  been  that 
while  they  are  aware  of  this  necessity  they  are  also 
unaware  of  the  exact  cause  of  the  graver  cutting  rough 
before  being  polished.  In  other  words,  they  do  not 
understand  or  have  not  given  consideration  to  the 
theoretical  reason,  which  I believe  all  engravers  should  rig.  28 
know.  There  have  been  articles  written  and  published 
in  the  magazines  from  time  to  time  in  which  microscopic  views  of 
the  edge  of  a razor  in  perfect  order  have  been  illustrated,  showing 
the  great  roughness  of  the  extreme  edge,  which  one  who  has  not 


28 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


given  some  thought  to  such  details  would  consider  almost  unreason- 
able  ; yet  it  is  a fact  that  the  surface  of  such  cutting  instruments 
are  very  rough  when  revealed  to  the  eye  under  a microscope.  This 
is  the  condition  of  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver  and  is  the  condi- 
tion which  causes  the  ragged  cutting  on  metals.  The  reason  that 
these  rough  edges  exist  is  that  the  particles  or  molecules  of  stone, 
being  harder  than  the  metal,  cut,  grind  or  groove  the  same  and 
scratch  a line  across  the  surface  of  the  graver  which  is  being  ground 
as  far  as  the  cutting  edge  of  the  same,  where  the  line  thus  cut 
terminates  and  causes  a notch  in  the  extreme  cutting  edge,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  28.  Now,  in  order  to  make  the  graver  cut  perfectly 
bright,  it  will  be  seen  that  we  must  put  the  graver  in  such  condi- 
tion that  these  lines  will  not  exist.  The  most  common  way  of 
polishing  a graver  is  that  of  using  diamontine  and  a boxwood 
block,  as  follows  ; Place  a small  quantity  of  diamontine  on  the 
surface  of  the  boxwood  block  and  draw  the  graver  backward 
directly  parallel  with  the  blade. 

This,  however,  is  not  the  best  method,  and  we  will  endeavor  to 
demonstrate  the  error  in  using  it  ; at  the  same  time  there  are  some 
very  fine  engravers  who  do  use  it,  but  a majority  of  the  best 
engravers  acknowledge  the  error.  Some  engravers  use  the  diamon- 
tine and  boxwood  block,  the  same  as  described  for  the  method  we 
recommend,  which,  of  course,  gives  better  results.  However,  the 
old  method  in  question  being  adopted,  let  us  first  see  what  the  con- 
dition of  the  graver  would  be  after  being  subjected  to  this  treat- 
ment. First,  as  the  graver  comes  from  the  oilstone  it  is  in  a 
condition  as  shown  at  Fig.  28.  If  it  has  been  polished  with  the 
diamontine,  the  particles  of  the  diamontine  being  finer  than  the 
particles  of  the  oilstone,  we  have  simply  decreased  to  a certain 
extent  the  grooves  made  by  the  wetting  on  the  oilstone,  and  have 
rounded  them  as  shown  at  Fig.  29.  Now,  it  is  obvious  that  by  the 
time  sufficient  polishing  has  been  done  to  remove  these 
grooves  naturally  by  polishing  them  in  the  direction  in 
which  they  were  originally  made,  the  point  of  the 
graver  would  be  rounding,  a matter  which  should  be 
obviated.  A graver  will  not  cut  perfectly  bright  if 
polished  in  this  way.  It  will  cut  what  many  would 
consider  bright,  but  if  the  incision  is  looked  at  through 
a magnifying  glass  the  fact  will  be  revealed  that  there 
Fig.  39  are  scratched  lines  visible.  Also  the  particles  of  the 


Tools  and  Materials  for  the  Beghuier. 


29 


diamontine,  especially  those  ugly  particles  that  exist  therein,  will, 
as  the  graver  is  drawn  backward,  roll  out  from  under  the  cutting 
edge  and  drag  over  the  same,  which  will  make  the  edge  of  the 
cutting  angle  rounding. 

Having  thus  explained  the  errors  of  this  method,  let  us  briefly 
consider  how  the  graver  can  be  put  in  a more  satisfactory  condition. 
To  prove  the  fact  that  it  is  only  necessary  to  change  the  angles  of 
the  scratched  lines  shown  at  Fig.  29,  caused  by  the  oilstone  in  the 
direction  of  the  angle  of  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver,  let  the 
reader  take  his  graver  and  move  it  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow  on 
his  oilstone,  as  shown  at  Fig.  30,  which  will  be  moving  the  graver 
parallel  with  the  cutting  angle,  thus  making 
the  scratches  parallel  with  said  angle  and 
because  of  the  fact  of  their  running  thus  and 
not  crossing  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver 
the  notches,  as  shown  at  Fig.  29,  will  not 
exist  Consequently,  the  graver  will  cut 
bright.  We  must  not,  however,  be  under- 
stood as  recommending  the  use  of  the  oil- 
stone for  polishing  the  graver,  but  mention  the  fact  simply  to  prove 
that  the  theory  explained  is  correct.  The  best  method  is  to  draw 
it  on  a piece  of  0000  French  emery  paper,  after  the  graver  has  been 
sharpened  on  the  oilstone  as  previously  described,  in  the  direction 
that  the  arrow  at  Fig.  30  indicates,  so  that  the  line  on  the  under 
-side  of  the  cutting  angle,  in  this  case  the  right  under  side,  scratched 
by  the  emery  paper  will  cross  the  original  line  scratched  and  run 
parallel  with  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver,  thus  obliterating  the 
former  and  leaving  only  fine  scratch  lines,  so  smooth  and  in  such  a 
direction  that  the  cutting  edge  will  be  perfectly  free  from  sufficient 
roughness  to  cause  the  graver  to  cut  a rough  line.  In  preparing 
the  0000  emery  paper  it  can  be  smoothed  down  somewhat  by 
rubbing  two  pieces  together.  Some  engravers  cement  or  glue  the 
paper  to  pieces  of  plate  glass  or  a block  of  hard  wood.  The  size 
of  emery  paper  should  be  about  i by  2 inches.  Now  that  the 
graver  is  in  perfect  order  we  are  prepared  with  our  knowledge  of 
mechanical  drawing  to  commence  cutting. 


Fig.  30 


CHAPTER  IV. 


FIRST  EXERCISES  IN  ENGRAVING. 


□ 


CZ) 


zr 


First  get  some  pieces  of  copper  zinced  on  one  side,  sized  about 
2"  X 3"  or  3"  X 4",  using  the  zinced  or  tinned  side  of  the  copper  for 
engraving,  as  the  zinced  or  tinned  surface  prevents  the  copper  from 
tarnishing,  and  as  a line  cut  through  it  to  the  copper  makes  a 
greater  contrast  than  would  be  shown  if  the  surface  was  copper. 

The  graver  is  held  in  the  hand  as  described  and  illustrated  at 
Fig.  22.  With  the  parallel  rule  or  a straight  edge  draw  parallel 
lines,  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  31.  These  lines  can  be  any  desired 

distance  apart.  A piece  of 
zinc  of  the  size  mentioned 
is  cemented  on  to  a block 
of  the  same  size  and  about 
one  inch  in  thickness,  the 
surface  of  the  block  being 
first  covered  with  en- 
graver’s wax.  The  wax 
is  then  heated  with  an 
alcohol  lamp  and  the  plate 
is  heated  at  the  same 
time  and  laid  on  to  the 
block.  The  designing  of 
these  lines  can  be  done 
the  surface  of  the 


on 

plates  by  the  use  of  the 

Chinese  white  and  a lead 

pencil,  or  they  can  be  scratched  directly  on  to  the  metal. 

After  drawing  these  straight  lines,  the  graver  being  held  in  the 
hand  as  directed,  allowing  the  thumb  to  act  as  a guide  and  sliding 
it  gently  over  the  surface  of  the  metal,  the  lines  are  cut  out,  care 
being  taken  to  begin  the  lines  on  the  same  line  perpendicularly  and 
to  end  them  up  in  the  same  way,  cutting  all  the  lines  the  same 
depth  and  same  width.  The  widths  of  lines  in  engraving  are  made 
by  turning  the  graver  over  to  the  right.  In  making  these  lines 

the  beginner  should  hold  the  graver  so  that  it  cuts  a V-shaped 


30 


First  Exercises  hi  Engraving . 


31 


incision.  A graver  in  the  position  shown  at  Fig.  23  will  cut  a line 
of  this  shape.  The  natural  tendency  of  all  beginners  is  to  turn  the 
graver  away  from  them,  which  would  be  to  the  right.  This  tendency 
is  universal  and  is  natural,  as  the  convenient  position  of  holding 
one’s  hand  is  such  the  graver  held"  in  it  would  cut  with  a wide 
incision.  Therefore,  in  cutting  a hair  line  (in  engravers’  parlance, 
a fine  line),  the  engraver  must  exert  the  muscles  of  the  forearm  so 
as  to  hold  it  firmly  to  the  left  more  than  is  natural.  Such  little 
details  may  seem  to  the  novice  unnecessary,  but  too  much  stress 
cannot  be  laid  upon  this  particular  point,  as  the  author  is  personally 
acquainted  with  a number  of  engravers  who,  after  a few  years  of 
experience,  are  troubled  with  this  common  difficulty  of  cutting  their 
hair  lines  a shaded  incision  instead  of  V-shaped.  After  practicing 
these  perpendicular  and  horizontal  lines,  as  above  described,  the 
next  exercise  is  to  make  the  lines  in  crescent  shape,  both  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left,  increasing  in  their  length  as  they  protrude  in 
those  directions. 

The  eye  of  the  beginner  should  be  educated  to  distinguish 
what  angles  and  straight  lines  are,  and  he  should  practice  cutting 
these  crescent-shaped  lines  to  begin  them  and  end  them  the  same 
depth  and  width  and  parallel  with  the  other,  each  one  being  a little 
longer  than  the  former  and  the  graduations  increasing  uniformly. 
It  may  be  well  for  the  beginner  to  draw  angle  lines  at  (),  Fig.  31, 
and  then  cut  the  crescent  lines  instead  of  the  lines  thus  made,  after 
which  he  should  practice  it  without  the  guide  lines. 

The  next  exercise  would  be  to  engrave  without  drawing  scroll 
lines  horizontally  as  shown  at  B,  Fig.  31.  These  scroll  lines  are  one 
of  the  most  difficult  in  cutting  which  the  engraver  has  to  execute, 
and  yet,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  they  are  the  lines  which  the 
beginner  has  to  learn  first.  The  author’s  experience  has  been  that 
many  engravers  do  not  thoroughly  appreciate  from  a technical 
standpoint  just  what  a scroll  is.  These  scroll  lines  we  will  have 
occasion  to  mention  in  connection  with  lettering  later  on,  and  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  their  formation  gained  at  this  point  will  be 
of  great  value  to  the  methodic  student.  A scroll  line  is  merely  two 
arcs  joined  together,  the  arcs  being  drawn  with  the  center  of  one 
above  the  line  and  the  other  below.  The  lines  have  exactly  the 
same  curve  and  are  exactly  the  same  length  from  end  to  center  and 
center  to  end.  To  illustrate  this  point  we  show  at  C,  Fig.  31,  a scroll 
thus  made  but  not  connected. 


32 


The  Art  of  Engravmg. 


We  will  now  take  upon  ourselves  the  responsibility  of  shading, 
the  first  exercise  of  which  is  to  make  crescent  lines,  as  shown  at 
Fig.  32.  In  starting  these  lines  the  graver  is  held  so  as  to  cut 
a V-shaped  incision,  and  as  it  is  pushed  forward  it  is  gradually 
turned  to  the  right  from  the  operator,  which  changes  the  angle  of 
the  incision,  decreasing  it  on  the  left  and  increasing  it  on  the  right, 
thus  making  a wide  stroke.  It  is  gradually 
moved  and  turned  thus  until  the  center  of 
the  crescent  is  reached,  from  which  point  to 
the  end  the  same  graduation  of  movement 
in  the  opposite  direction  is  observed.  This 
work  of  cutting  these  crescent  cuts  or  arcs 
shaded  in  this  manner  should  be  practiced  a great  deal  by  the 
beginner.  The  experience  of  the  author  has  been  that  the 
average  student  is  so  anxious  to  advance  in  his  work  that  he  is 
not  willing  to  practice  the  preliminaries  sufficiently  to  warrant 
great  accuracy  in  cutting  before  he  advances  to  the  desired 
stages. 

It  would  seem  as  if  triangles  and  squares,  as  shown  at 
D,  Fig.  31,  would  be  easily  engraved,  and  many  beginners  imagine 
that  engraving  such  designs  is  unnecessary,  yet  the  older  engravers 
know  that  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  engrave  lines  and  have  them 
meet  or  intersect  at  a given  point  without  showing  such  point  of 
meeting  or  intersection.  The  great  trouble  is  that  the  graver  will 
do  what  is  called  backing  up,  or,  in  other  words,  when  the  graver 
is  inserted  into  the  metal  and  pushed  forward,  a little  cut  is  made 
back  of  where  the  graver  started  in.  This  can  be  avoided,  as  will 
be  explained  further  on,  but  the  tendency  to  this  error  will  exist. 
An  explanation  of  avoiding  this  is  not  necessary  at  this  stage, 
as  the  point  to  be  gained  by  the  practice  here  outlined  is  to  enable 
the  beginner  to  so  form  these  exercises  that  when  he  engraves  one 
line  up  to  the  point  of  another  that  he  can  stop  at  that  particular 
point.  In  other  words,  so  that  he  can  stop  when  he  so  desires.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  lines  should  be  exactly  the  same 
width  and  same  depth  from  beginning  to  end,  and  that  they  should 
meet  accurately.  It  is  often  seen  that  engravers,  even  of  some 
experience,  will  disconnect  lines  in  forming  figures  and  letters 
where  the  same  should  be  connected,  which  makes  a very  inelegant 
appearance.  After  the  exercises  above  illustrated  have  been  thor- 
oughly practiced  the  student  is  ready  to  engrave  letters. 


Fig.  32 


First  Exercises  i7i  Ejigraving . 


33 


It  is  not  unusual  to  start  a student  engraving  on  script  letters, 
but  a number  of  years  of  experience  has  convinced  the  author  that 
an  easier  style  of  letter  should  be  used  for  the  beginner  in  a series 
of  graded  exercises,  and  while  it  is  a fact  that  block  letters  or 
Gothic  are  in  some  classes  of  work  considered  more  difficult  than 
others,  I think,  however,  that  in  bright  cut  engraving  they  are 
easier  than  the  script.  It  is  the  script  engraving  that  is  mostly 
desired,  and  jewelers  that  are  engaging  engravers  will  usually  ask 
for  and  insist  on  first-class  script  lettering  ; and  in  many  cases  we 
find  artists  in  mechanical  engraving  who  cannot  do  creditable  script 
engraving.  We  will,  therefore,  begin  our  lettering  with  Gothic  or 
block  letters,  and  will  now  lay  aside  the  graver  that  we  have  been 
practicing  these  preliminaries  with  and  take  up  another  graver. 

THE  FLAT-FACED  GRAVER. 

As  we  lay  aside  this  graver  temporarily  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  we  are  not  to  leave  it  entirely,  that  it  should  be  taken  up 
and  practiced  with  in  conjunction  with  the  work  that  we  are  about 
to  take  up,  because  the  use  of  the  square  graver  and  the  flat-face 
graver  are  radically  different  in  detail  of  operation.  We  will  take 
a flat-face  graver,  shown  at  Fig.  33,  ground  on  an  angle  of  45°, 
ground  off  at  the  top  so  as  to  decrease  the  width  of  same  perpen- 
dicularly and  to  enable  the  engraver  to  sharpen  it  with  more  rapidity 
on  the  front.  This  graver 
is  also  heeled  up  on  the 
under  side  sufficient  to 
raise  the  graver  so  as  to 
allow  the  fingers  to  grasp  rig.  33 

the  handle  firmly.  The 

graver  should  be  heeled  up  on  the  under  side  so  as  to  raise 
the  handle  when  it  is  on  the  proper  angle  to  cut  not  less  than 
one  inch  from  a horizontal  plane.  The  method  of  sharpening 
and  polishing  this  graver,  and  the  theories  for  the  same,  are 
practically  as  outlined  for  the  square  graver.  In  polishing  the 
graver  on  the  emery  paper,  it  should  be  moved  on  same  in  the 
direction  of  the  cutting  angle  which,  in  this  case,  is  the  extreme 
front  of  the  graver.  The  flat-face  graver  is  an  awkward  and  difficult 
graver  for  a beginner  to  use — one  that  most  beginners  dislike  ; but 
after  they  have  used  it  and  become  familiar  with  its  good  qualities 
and  the  broad  scope  of  its  usefulness,  they  are  very  much  in 


34 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


favor  of  it.  In  polishing  a flat  graver  the  tendency  is  to  round  off 
the  corners  or  cutting  points.  Great  care  should  be  exercis*ed  to 
avoid  this  common  difficulty.  In  sharpening  the  graver  on  the 
oilstone  it  is  pushed  backwards  and  forwards  the  same  as  the 
square  graver,  and  for  sharpening  on  the  front  it  is  held  in  the  same 
position  and  moved  to  the  right  and  left  on  the  oilstone  as  described 
for  the  square  graver.  The  question  may  be  asked,  why  is  it  that 
it  is  not  recommended  to  sharpen  the  graver  or  flatten  it  on  the 
under  side  by  moving  it  to  the  right  and  left  side  or  backward  and 
forward,  thus  avoiding  the  lines  or  grooves  crossing  the  cutting 
edge  and  making  the  saw  teeth  that  have  been  described.  The 
reason  is  that  the  tendency  would  be,  in  moving  to  the  right  and 
left,  to  make  the  under  side  of  the  graver  rounding,  and  it  is  for 
this  reason  that  both  the  flat-bottom  graver  and  the  square  graver 
are  flattened  by  pushing  backward  and  forward.  The  length  of  this 
graver  is  determined  as  described  for  determining  the  length  of  the 
square  graver.  All  beginners,  as  they  mount  new  gravers,  should 
make  them  the  same  length  as  the  square  graver  they  are  using, 
taking  it  for  granted  that  the  same  is  correct,  as  it  will  be  if  the 
length  is  determined  as  described. 


CHAPTER  V. 


BLOCK  LETTERS. 

The  sides  of  flat-face  gravers  are,  when  purchased,  usually 
rough,  which  causes  additional  friction  when  being  forced  through 
the  metal.  It  is,  therefore,  advisable  for  the  engraver  to  whet  the 
sides  down  flat  and  smooth,  thereby  reducing  the  friction  to  a 
minimum.  Having  our  graver  in  perfect  condition  we  will  now 
proceed  with  some  of  the  exercises  necessary  to  properly  begin  cut- 
ting block  letters. 

At  Fig.  34  are  shown  perpendicular,  horizontal  and  angular 
bars  from  which  block  letters  are  made.  In  cutting  these  bars  the 


Fig.  34 


graver  should  be  pushed  downward  on  an  angle  of  about  45°  and 
then  lowered  to  the  proper  angle  at  which  it  will  slide  forward. 
This  angle  measured  would  be  about  20°.  The  object  of  inserting 
the  graver  at  about  45°  and  then  dropping  it  down  to  20°  is  that 
by  so  doing  the  end  or  the  beginning  of  the  bar  or,  more  properly 
speaking,  the  incision,  would  be  nearer  straight  down  into  the  metal 
(which  is  the  angle  of  the  sides)  and  the  end  of  the  bar  where  the 
graver  is  thrown  out.  To  illustrate  this  point  see  Fig.  35,  where 
represents  a cross  section  of  the  plate  being  engraved  and  B repre- 


sents the  incision  properly  commenced  and  properly  ended.  C is 
the  beginning  of  a line  made  by  inserting  the  graver  on  a less  angle 
than  45°,  which  shows  to  the  beginner  that  a line  cut  in  this  way 
would  produce  a very  undesirable  appearance  if  the  work  was  to  be 
enameled  ; or,  in  the  case  of  die  cutting,  if  the  ink  would  rub  out. 


35 


36 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


Moreover,  the  bars  of  these  lines  should,  for  general  appearance  in 
bright  cut  work,  begin  and  end  as  nearly  as  possible  on  the  same 
incline.  Of  course,  it  is  impossible  to  end  a stroke  on  an  incline. 
As  the  graver  is  thrown  out  it  would  naturally  be  raised  upward  to 
break  the  chip  off,  and  this  would  leave  it  about  perpendicular. 
Therefore,  the  beginning  of  the  incision  should  be  as  nearly  perpen- 
dicular as  is  practical.  If  an  effort  is  made  to  make  the  incision 
begin  on  an  angle  greater  than  about  45°,  it  would  then  be  neces- 
sary in  lowering  the  angle  of  the  graver  in  order  to  slide  it  forward 
to  back  up  against  the  extreme  edge  of  the  surface  of  the  plate  and 
the  incline  of  the  incision.  This  would  mar  and  deface  that  portion 
of  the  plate  and  produce  a very  ugly  appearance.  These  little 
details  in  reference  to  the  beginning  strokes  in  engraving  should  be 
strictly  followed  in  practicing,  as  they  are  the  cardinal  points  of 
correct  work,  as  will  be  shown  later  on  in  the  higher  classes  of 
engraving. 

After  sufficient  practice  in  cutting  these  lines  perpendicularly 
they  should  then  be  cut  horizontally,  changing  the  length  of  them 
gradually.  Start  at  the  top  with  a short  line  and  gradually 
increase  the  length  until  it  is  more  than  double.  The  depth  of 
these  incisions  is  a hard  matter  for  an  instructor  to  tell  a student. 
Of  course,  it  would  largely  depend  upon  the  article  that  is  being 
engraved.  Articles  such  as  are  engraved  with  these  letters  are 
usually  engraved  just  deep  enough  to  look  well.  The  engraver 
can  tell  very  easily  when  he  is  cutting  too  deep,  as  his  work  will  be 
very  rough.  It  might  be  well  to  advise  the  beginner  to  cut  as 
shallow  an  incision  as  he  can,  and  keep  both  points  of  his  graver 
into  the  metal.  This  advice  is  given  in  view  of  the  fact  that  most 
beginners  cut  too  deep.  Students  who  try  to  cut  very  shallow  will 
find  that  they  cut  sufficiently  deep. 

At  the  right  of  the  horizontal  bars  in  Fig.  34  are  shown  the 
horizontal  and  perpendicular  bars  placed  together,  forming  the 
letter  E,  and  at  the  right  of  the  letter  E is  a triangle  formed  of 
these  same  bars.  In  cutting  this  letter  E there  are  some  points 
which  will  be  taken  up  under  the  head  of  cutting  the  alphabet  and 
also  in  cutting  the  triangle. 

At  Eig.  36  we  illustrate  the  first  letter  of  the  block  or  Gothic 
alphabet.  There  is  some  little  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  name 
of  this  style  of  letters.  They  are  known  to  the  jewelry  engravers 
as  block  letters,  and  are  generally  so  understood  by  the  public. 


Block  Letters. 


37 


They  are  also  designated  as  Gothic  letters  on  account  of  their 
Gothic  form  ; but  the  name  “block  letters,”  being  the  name  by 
which  they  are  generally  known  in  the  jewelry  trade,  we  will  use 

Fig.  36 


that  name.  Technically,  however,  the  letter  should  be  called  the 
Gothic  or  Octic  letter  ; the  general  formation  of  which  can  be  con- 
verted into  a block  letter  by  blocking  it  out,  as  shown  at  Fig.  37, 
where  we  illustrate  the  Octic  letter  plain.  At  the  right  we  have  the 
same  letter  blocked  out  by  shading.  This  letter  would  technically 
be  called  a block  letter,  for  the  reason  that  the  letter  has  the 
appearance  of  being  made  from  a block  of 
wood.  Our  deftnition,  therefore,  would  be 
that  a Gothic  or  Octic  letter  is  the  foundation 
of  a block  letter.  Referring  again  to  Fig.  36, 
we  show  the  two  bars  forming  the  angles  of 
the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet.  The  angle 
of  these  bars  should  be  about  65°.  The 
cross  bar  should  cross  midway  between  the  extreme  point  of  the 
letter  and  the  base.  We  show  this  letter  with  the  bars  lapping  and 
crossing  one  another  as  they  would  be  cut  with  the  flat-face  graver. 
This  illustration  shows  that  they  are  not  on  a line  with  the  base 
guide  line  and  that  the  top  is  neither  pointed  nor  flat,  while  it 
should  be  one  of  the  two  ; which  one,  depending  upon  the  style 
the  artist  prefers.  This  is  a difficult  letter  to  cut  properly  and 
equally  difficult  to  explain  in  a comprehensive  manner.  It  matters 
little  whether  the  bars  are  cut  up  or  down.  Some  insist  that  one 
is  right  and  others  that  the  opposite  is  correct.  It  seems,  indeed, 
to  matter  little  whether  we  cut  up  or  down.  The  condition  of  the 
bars  on  the  base  line  can  easily  be  remedied  by  making  an  extra 
cut  with  the  right  corner  of  the  flat-face  graver,  which  is  shown  at 
Fig.  36.  In  correcting  the  right  bar  of  this  letter,  the  cut  in 
question  is  made  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow.  And  when  correct- 
ing the  left  bar  it  is  made  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow  there  shown. 
Now,  if  it  is  desired  to  make  the  top  of  the  letter  flat  on  top,  a 
triangular-shaped  incision  is  made  with  the  flat-face  graver  by 


FF 

Fig.  37 


38 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


cutting  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow  shown  at  the  top  of  the  letter  ; 
the  right  corner  of  the  graver  being  the  one  inserted  in  the  metal 
There  are  two  methods  of  correcting  this  condition.  If  the  letter 
is  a very  small  one,  it  would  be  done  by  cutting  directlv  downward 
with  a square  graver  which  would  make  a different  shaped  incision, 
the  general  outlines  of  which  would  represent  a pyramid.  If  the 
letter  is  a large  one,  either  the  right  or  left  bar  of  the  letter  can  be 
pointed  by  rolling  or  turning  the  graver  to  the  right  or  to  the  left, 
the  direction  depending  upon  which  bar  is  being  cut.  For  the  sake 
of  explicitness  we  will  assume  that  the  last  bar  to  be  cut  is  the  bar 
at  the  right  which,  being  cut  up  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow,  is 
manipulated  as  follows  : when  the  engraver  arrives  at  that  point 
indicated  by  the  letter  B,  the  graver  is  gradually  rolled  over  on  to 
the  right  of  the  point,  which  will  gradually  lift  the  left  point  of  the 
graver  out  of  the  metal,  thereby  diminishing  the  width  of  the 
incision.  Of  course,  from  the  point  indicated  by  the  initial  B to 
the  extreme  point  of  the  letter  the  bar  will  be  an  angular  incision, 
being  deeper  on  the  right  than  on  the  left ; yet,  unless  the  letter  is 
a very  large  one,  this  would  be  scarcely  noticeable. 

In  cutting  the  cross  bar  shown  at  Fig.  36  it  matters  not  In 
which  direction  the  graver  is  pushed,  as  the  obstacles  are  equal  on 
both  sides.  If  the  graver  is  carelessly  inserted,  assuming  that  we 
are  cutting  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow,  the  bar  would  be  badly 
marred,  said  cross  bar  cutting  into  it  as  indicated  by  the  dotted 
lines,  and  if  the  graver  is  carelessly  pushed  into  the  bar  on  the  left 
side  of  the  letter,  a like  ragged  and  haggled  appearance  will  be 
caused  by  the  graver  cutting  in  as  outlined  by  the  dotted  lines. 
These  things  are  remedied  by  starting  the  graver  tilted  up  on  one 
corner,  as  shown  at  Fig.  36,  and  as  it  is  pushed  forward  it  is  gradu- 
ally turned  over,  which  will  increase  the  width  of  the  incision. 
This  increase  must  be  such  that  the  angle  of  the  same  will  be  equal 
to  the  angle  of  the  right  bar  of  the  letter,  so  that  the  line  of  the 
beginning  of  this  bar  will  be  apparently  with  the  inner  line  of  the 
letter.  When  arriving  at  that  point  where  the  bar  should  be  the 
maximum  width,  the  graver  should  be  flat  and  is  held  in  this 
position  until  the  original  point  of  the  graver  arrives  at  the  left  bar 
of  the  letter.  It  is  then  gradually  raised  up  or,  in  other  words, 
the  graver  is  turned  to  the  left  or  toward  the  operator,  which  will 
gradually  lift  the  right  corner  of  the  graver  out  of  the  metal,  and 
this  graduation  of  decrease  of  width  of  the  incision  should  be  equal 


Block  Letters. 


39 


to  the  angle  of  the  bar  of  the  letter  at  the  left,  so  that  the  cutting 
edge  of  the  graver  will  cease  its  operations  as  the  surface  of  the 
metal  in  front  of  it  is  cut  away  up  to  the  inside  line  of  said  bar,  and 
when  the  left  point  of  the  graver  arrives  at  the  bar  the  point  only  is 
in  the  metal  and  it  is  gracefully  thrown  out.  Thus  the  graver  does 
not  either  enter  the  right  or  the  left  bar  of  the  letter.  This  opera- 
tion, thus  explained,  will  appear  to  be  difficult  ; but  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  cut  a letter  in  this  way  very  accurately.  There  are  other 
bars  in  the  block  or  Gothic  alphabet  and  other  cuts  which  are 
handled  in  this  manner  and  which  will  not  need  further  mention. 

In  drawing  block  letters  it  is  advisable,  in  order  to  give  each 
letter  its  correct  proportions,  to  divide  the  height  of  the  letters  into 
five  equal  parts  and  make  the  width  as  follows  ; All  the  letters  and 
figures  except  I,  M and  W,  and  the  figure  i,  should  be  four  such 


Fig,  38 


parts  in  width  ; M being  five  parts,  W seven  parts,  I and  i one  part. 
These  parts  referred  to  are  the  little  squares  indicated  in  the  back- 
ground of  the  alphabet  shown  at  Fig.  38.  The  thickness  of  all 
the  lines  should  be  one  part.  The  distance  between  any  two  lines 
should  be  one  space,  except  when  A follows  P or  F ; when  Y,  W 
or  Y follow  L ; when  J follows  F,  P,  T,  V,  W or  Y ; when  T and 
A or  A and  V,  W or  Y are  side  by  side.  In  these  cases  the  bottom 
of  the  A,  ] or  L and  the  top  of  the  other  letter  should  be  on  the 
same  vertical  line.  In  practicing  drawing  these  letters  on  a large 
scale,  the  lines  being  made  up  of  straight  lines,  they  can  be  drawn 
with  a T-square  and  a triangle.  First,  draw  six  equal-spaced 
horizontal  pencil  lines  to  outline  the  height  of  the  letters  and 
then,  using  the  triangle,  draw  the  letters  their  correct  width,  spacing 
with  a lead  pencil.  The  main  point  to  be  considered  is  to  make  the 
letters  exactly  uniform  in  height  and  slant,  and  this  will  require 
some  practice,  but  with  the  aid  of  mechanical  or  geometric  drawings 
the  work  should  be  made  easy. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


METHODS  OF  CUTTING  BLOCK  LETTERS. 

There  are  many  different  methods  of  cutting  block  and  Gothic 
letters,  which  we  will  briefly  enumerate.  One  is  to  cut  the  letters 
bright-cut,  as  before  described  ; another  is  to  cut  the  letters  in  the 
same  manner  with  the  graver  as  it  comes  from  the  Arkansas  stone. 
A graver  in  this  condition  should  be  used  on  metals  which  will 
make  a ragged  cut  and  produce  a contrast  between  the  surface  and 
the  lines  so  cut.  Another  method  is  to  wriggle  the  letters. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  in  cutting  the  block  or 
Gothic  letters  is  the  lapping  of  the  bars.  We  have  thoroughly 
described  the  bars  of  the  letters  and  how  they  should  be  cut,  and 
must  ask  the  reader  to  strictly  bear  in  mind  what  has  been  said  in 
reference  thereto  in  order  to  enable  us  to  advance  as  rapidly  as 
possible. 

At  Fig.  39  we  illustrate  the  block  or  Gothic  letter  B which, 
with  the  exception  of  the  letter  S,  has  more  octagonal  corners  than 
any  other  letter  of  the  alphabet,  and  the  letter 
S is  perhaps  the  most  difficult  one  to  cut.  In 
cutting  this  letter  there  are  a number  of  methods 
of  procedure  which  are  equally  efficacious,  and 
few  engravers  will  agree  which  is  the  best  to 
commend  to  the  beginner.  We  will  give  the 
reader  the  methods  that  are  most  in  use,  and  he 
then  can  use  either  or  all,  in  cutting  the  same 
letter,  if  he  so  desires. 

First  cut  the  bar  A in  the  direction  of  the 
arrow  ; next  cut  the  bar  C in  the  direction  of 
the  arrow.  It  will  be  noted  at  the  point  of  this  letter  indicated  by 
the  E that  the  two  bars  of  the  letter  meet  and  lap  over  one  another. 
Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  such  a case  that  all  of  the  metal 
is  cut  out  and  that  the  C bar  should  begin  exactly  on  the  left  side 
of  the  bar  A,  and  should  not  protrude  above  or  lack  of  coming  up 
to  the  end  of  said  bar,  so  that  all  of  the  metal  in  the  square  indi- 
cated by  the  letter  H should  be  cut  out  entirely  and  that  the  depth 
should  be  the  same  as  either  of  the  bars  separately.  Next  cut  the 


40 


Methods  of  Cutting  Block  Letters. 


41 


bar  D in  the  direction  of  the  arrow.  Next  the  bar  M in  the 
direction  of  the  arrow.  It  will  now  be  seen  that  we  have  a perfect 
E,  and  to  convert  the  letter  into  a B all  we  have  to  do  is  to  cut  the 
remaining  portion  of  the  letter  as  shown  in  the  figure.  Now  begin 
at  the  bar  indicated  by  the  letter  F and  cut  up  to  the  next  turn, 
where  the  graver  is  thrown  out  ; then  the  next  bar  up  to  the  next 
turn  where  the  graver  is  thrown  out  and  the  angle  changed,  and  the 
next  bar  cut  up.  The  top  of  the  letter  is  cut  the  same  as  the 
bottom.  It  will  be  noticed  here  that  each  bar  laps  over  the  bar  of 
the  letter  formerly  cut,  and  it  is  advisable  that  great  care  should  be 
exercised  in  lapping  such  bars  as,  in  case  of  neglect  to  do  so,  the 
corner  where  the  angle  of  the  letter  changes  would  be  open  instead 


of  being  pointed.  The  lapping  is  illustrated  on  a large  scale  at 
Fig.  40.  The  dot  E on  the  bar  A indicates  the  point  where  the 
point  of  the  graver  should  be  placed  in  cutting  the  bar  B.  The 
dot  C indicates  the  point  where  both  bars  meet.  It  will  therefore 
be  seen  that  it  is  always  necessary  to  place  the  left  corner  of  the 
graver  to  the  left  of  the  bar  last  cut,  and  to  let  its  cutting  edge  and 
right  point  start  exactly  on  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  said  stroke. 
By  so  doing  the  corners  are  sharp  and  accurately  made. 

Another  great  difficulty  in  this  work  is  to  cut  various  bars  the 
exact  depth,  and  also  to  avoid  backing  up  the  graver  as  described 
in  inserting  the  graver  in  the  first  instructions  given  in  reference  to 
the  use  of  the  flat-face  graver.  It  is  difficult  to  lap  a letter  in  this 
manner,  or  in  fact  in  any  other  and  not  cut  one  angle  a little  deeper, 
or  apparently  a little  deeper  than  the  other  ; but  great  care  will 


42 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


enable  one  to  cut  the  letters  with  such  accuracy  that  they  will 
appear  to  be  and,  in  fact,  will  be  the  same  depth.  In  this  method 
of  cutting  it  is  therefore  seen  that  this  letter  is  cut  in  the  form  of 
the  E first,  and  then  a portion  of  the  E added  at  the  right.  Another 
method  of  cutting  is  to  first  cut  the  bar  A,  and  then  begin  at  the 
bottom  and  cut  around  up  to  the  top.  Some  begin  at  the  bottom 
and  cut  the  letter  right  around  to  the  top  and  cut  the  bar  A down. 

The  method  of  squaring  up  the  top  of  a W or  of  a V,  the 
bottom  of  an  R,  of  a 7,  top  and  bottom  of  an  X or  a Y,  are  the 
same  as  described  for  such  work  on  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet. 

Referring  to  Fig.  38,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  letters  are  drawn 
on  strictly  mechanical  lines,  and  these  strict  rules  governing  the 
general  formation  of  these  letters  are  given  so  that  the  student  may 
thoroughly  familiarize  himself  with  their  formation,  and  that  the 
letters  will  be  perfectly  spaced  when  placed  side  by  side  in  a word. 
In  actual  work  it  would  not  be  practical  for  the  engraver  to  use 
these  exact  drawings  of  horizontal  and  perpendicular  guide  lines  to 
form  the  little  squares  mentioned,  but  a knowledge  of  them  in  his 
practice  work  and  some  actual  practice  in  drawing  them  on  paper 
with  the  aid  of  these  accurate  mechanical  forms  would  be  conducive 
to  a high  degree  of  accuracy.  After  he  has  educated  his  eye  by 
the  use  of  them,  it  would  be  only  necessary  to  use  the  top  and  base 
guide  lines.  In  die  cutting,  where  extreme  accuracy  in  spacing 
and  forming  the  letters  is  required,  artists  use  the  perpendicular 
guide  lines — not  scratched  on  the  die  equidistant  apart,  they  using 
them  merely  to  get  the  perpendicular  of  the  letter.  The  mechani- 
cal form  of  the  letters  given  above  will  enable  the  student  to  know 
the  exact  distance  between  letters  according  to  their  height  and 
width.  The  question  has  often  been  asked  by  students  what  the 
difference  should  be  between  the  widths  of  certain  letters,  and  for 
this  reason  we  have  made  this  accurate  means  of  giving  the  correct 
mechanical  forms  of  the  letters. 

We  have  now  gone  through  the  mechanical  forms  and  methods 
of  cutting  the  block  or  Gothic  alphabet,  and  we  will  next  take  up 
another  style  of  letter  formed  on  the  same  general  principles. 

Wriggling  block  letters  is  done  with  the  flat-face  graver  pre- 
viously described,  as  shown  at  Fig.  40,  which  is  there  shown  in 
three  different  positions.  Position  A represents  the  graver  flat  ; 
position  B,  with  the  graver  turned  on  the  left  corner  ; position  C, 
with  the  graver  turned  on  the  right  corner.  The  graver  is  thus 


Methods  of  Cutting  Block  Letters.  43 

rocked  from  one  corner  to  another  and  gently  pushed  forward  in 
the  process  of  wriggling.  The  angle  on  which  the  graver  is  held 
and  the  amount  of  pressure  forward  determines  the  degree  of  fine- 
ness of  the  wriggling.  For  illustration,  in  starting  a wriggle  the 
graver  can  be  held  on  an  angle  of  30°  and  gradually  raised  up  to 
75°,  and  between  these  degrees  the  graver  would  be  capable  of 
wriggling  five  or  six  degrees  of  wriggled  cuts.  The  use  of  block 
letters,  wriggled,  is  very  common,  especially  in  cheap  work  ; a 
great  many  engravers  using  this  class  of  lettering  for  engraving 
coffin  plates,  because  it  makes  a showy  letter  and  yet  is  easily 
executed.  These  letters  can  be  wriggled  by  making  the  horizontal 
bars  wriggled  fine  and  the  perpendicular  bars  wriggled  coarse, 
which  produces  a very  desirable  appearance. 

METHOD  OF  SHADING  BLOCK  LETTERS. 

The  method  of  shading  letters  with  a flat-face  graver  is  one  of 
the  greatest  errors  in  engraving  that  has  come  to  the  author’s 
attention  and  one  that  it  seems  to  be  easy  to  see  the  error  of.  No 
better  illustration  can  be  given  for  the  correction  of  this  error 
in  one’s  mind  than  to  observe  the  panels  of  a door  in  which  we  will 
see  that  when  the  panel  is  raised  the  incline  is  toward  the  center  ; 
when  the  panel  is  sunken  the  incline  is  from  the  center  to  the  outer 
part  of  the  door.  This  supplies  two  panels  in  wood  work  and  is 
also  applicable  to  the  art  of  shading  letters.  When  a letter  is  to 
be  shaded  the  incline  of  the  incision  or,  in  other  words,  the  side  of 
the  incision  that  is  the  most  inclined,  should  be  over  against  the 
letter.  The  point  under  consideration  is  illustrated  at  Fig.  41, 
where  B represents  the  plate  ; C,  the  wriggled  bar  of  the  letter  ; 
D,  the  incision,  and  the  graver  cutting 
the  same.  Here  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
graver  is  cutting  the  incision  so  that  it 
inclines  toward  the  letter.  This  point 
should  be  remembered  in  all  classes  of 
shading  letters  of  whatsoever  style  or 
size.  We  often  see  fine  monograms 
well  cut,  yet  from  the  fact  that  the  shade 
is  shaded  away  from  the  letter  instead  of 
being  shaded  on  the  letter,  some  portions 
being  apparently  raised  and  others  low- 
ered, the  effect  from  an  artistic  stand- 


44 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


point  is  lost.  For  this  reason  the  student  is  cautioned  in  such  shad- 
ing to  always  shade  a letter  on  to  the  bar  of  the  letter.  It  matters 
not  whether  the  curve  is  outward  or  inward,  top  or  bottom,  the 
shade  is  the  same.  The  rule  is  invariably  true  that  the  shading 
should  be  done  as  above  outlined. 

We  have  previously  mentioned  the  error  of  beginning  and 
ending  a cut  which  we  also  illustrate  at  Figs.  42  and  43,  Fig.  42 


Fig.  42  Fig.  43 


Fig 


F 


Fig.  46 


showing  the  cut  properly  commenced  ; and  Fig.  43  showing  it 
commenced  on  a less  angle  than  45°.  This  caution  is  especially 
needed  at  this  time,  as  in  inserting  a graver  at  the  extreme  corners 
of  a letter  like  the  wriggled  E,  illustrated  at  Fig.  46,  great  care  must 
be  exercised  to  start  the  incision  by  inserting  the  graver  the  max- 
imum depth  so  that  it  will  be  the  same  depth  at  the  beginning  as  at 
the  end.  The  F at  Fig.  44,  where  the  main  bar  of  the  letter  is 
outlined,  will  represent  a letter  cut  bright  cut.  Where  the 
main  bars  of  the  letter  are  shown  black  at  Fig.  45,  the 
black  portion  of  the  letter  represents  an  incision 
cut  with  a flat-face  graver  as  it  comes  from  the  oil- 
stone, thus  making  a ragged  incision  ; and  the 
little  line  along  the  right-hand  side  of  said  bars 
represents  a single  stroke  cut  with  a square  graver  making 
a shadow  which  is  merely  on  the  surface  of  the  metal  from 
the  fine  line  to  the  main  bar  of  the  letter.  In  other  words  the 
shading  is  made  by  running  a fine  hair  line  along  the  under  side  of 
the  bars  of  the  letter. 

Referring  to  Fig.  46  we  have  the  block  or  Gothic  letters  E and 
the  latter  represented  by  being  cut  by  a line  graver  and  the 
former  wriggled  and  bright  cut  shade. 
Line  gravers  when  purchased  are  grooved 
on  the  under  side.  After  they  have  been 
sharpened  as  described  for  sharpening  a 
flat-faced  graver,  they  are  used  for  cut- 
ting block  letters  the  same  as  a flat-face 
graver,  the  only  difference  being  that  in  a flat-face  graver  it  can  be 
either  bright  cut  or  represent  a ragged  incision.  In  the  case  of  the 
liner  a number  of  fine  lines  are  cut  equi-distant ' apart.  At  the 
same  time,  each  perpendicular  to  the  horizontal  bar  of  the  H as 


H, 


Fig.  46 


Methods  of  Cutting  Block  Letters. 


45 


here  represented  is  cut  with  one  stroke  of  the  flat-face  liner.  These 
line  gravers  cost  more  than  double  the  price  of  regular  gravers,  but 
only  a few  of  them  are  required.  Some  engravers  do  not  use  them 
at  all,  as  the  work  done  by  a line  graver  can  also  be  done  on  a 
more  costly  scale  by  cutting  each  line  separately  with  the  square 
graver.  The  line  graver  should  be  ground  on  an  angle  on  the  front 
somewhat  less  than  the  regular  angle  for  a graver,  as  the  extreme 
points  of  the  grooves  in  the  end  side  of  the  graver,  which  produce 
the  incision  lines,  are  so  delicate  and  pointed  that  a blunted  point  on 
the  front  of  the  graver  is  required  in  order  to  insure  the  points  not 
breaking  off.  The  fine  line  shaded  on  the  right  and  under  side  of 
the  letter  H,  shown  at  Fig.  46,  is  done  by  cutting  in  towards  the 
letter  with  the  liner,  or  this  work  can  be  done  on  a more  expensive 
scale  by  each  line  being  made  separately  with  a square  graver. 

GOTHIC  LETTERS. 

This  style  of  letter,  known  also  as  the  block  or  Gothic  letter, 
is  cut  principally  with  the  round-face  graver.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  circular  portions  of  the  letters,  as  in  C or  in  O or  in  D,  the 
corners  are  not  octagonal  shape,  and  for  this  reason  they  can 
be  cut  with  a round-face  graver  with  one  steady  cut  from  the  begin- 

A B C D E F G 

H I J K L M N 

0 P Q R S T U 

V W X Y Z A 

1234567890 

Fij?.  47 

ning  of  the  letter  to  the  end  or  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  an 
arc  of  a letter.  These  letters  are  useful  where  the  Octic-formed 
letters  previously  mentioned  are  not,  for  the  reason  that  these  letters 
can  be  cut  with  more  rapidity,  which  is  due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  start  and  stop  in  cutting  a letter  such  as  C,  it  not 


46 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


being  necessary  to  stop  at  the  corners  and  throw  the  graver  out 
and  pick  it  up  again.  These  letters  can  be  made  very  attractive  by 
polishing  the  round-face  graver  and  cutting  the  letters  bright  cut 
on  satin  or  in  Roman  rose  gold  surface.  Cutting  the  letters  bright 
cut  through  such  surface  makes  the  letters  appear  very  attractive. 
Another  method  practiced  by  some  engravers  is  to  wriggle  a very 
small  portion  of  the  letter  in  the  center  on  all  the  perpendicular 
bars,  leaving  the  remaining  portion  of  the  letter  bright  cut,  which 
effect  is  very  attractive  for  certain  classes  of  work.  These  Gothic 
letters  will  be  found  very  prominently  used  on  medals  where  the 
bar  of  the  letter  is  to  be  lettered  in  a conspicuous  yet  inexpensive 
lettering.  The  general  proportions  of  these  Gothic  letters,  shown 
at  Fig.  47,  being  the  same  as  the  alphabet  previously  mentioned, 
it  will  not  be  necessary  to  illustrate  guide  lines  here. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


SCRIPT  LETTERS. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  that  most  useful 
and  yet  quite  difficult  alphabet  known  as  the  script.  The  script 
alphabet  is  the  most  popular  style  of  engraving  known,  either  to 
card  engravers  or  jewelry  engravers.  It  being  a style  of  letter  that 
is  necessary  for  the  engraver  to  know,  we  must  consider  each  and 
every  letter  of  the  alphabet  as  to  its  correct  formation  and  method 
of  cutting. 

We  have  previously  given  instructions  as  to  the  correct  method 
of  cutting  a scroll,  mentioning  at  that  time  that  it  was  a valuable 
cut  for  the  engraver  to  be  master  of.  This  will  be  readily  seen  and 
appreciated  in  the  instructions  to  follow. 

The  scroll  cut  previously  referred  to  is  no  more  nor  less  than 
the  so-called  capital  stem  or  line  of  beauty  of  the  script  letters. 
This  scroll-shaped  stem  or  line  of  beauty  is  used  in  making  eighteen 
or  twenty  of  the  capital  letters  of  the  script  alphabet,  some  of  which 
are  shaded  and  others  not.  The  first  thing  to  be  considered  in 
reference  to  the  script  alphabet  is  the  exact  proportion.  As  the 
script  alphabet  is  known  among  printers  as  an  imitation  of  hand- 
writing, one  would  naturally  suppose  that  in  engraving  the  scroll 
letters  the  engravers  would  proceed  as  they  w'ould  write,  only  per- 
fecting the  letters.  This  is  true,  yet  the  style  of  lettering  is  some- 
what different  from  that  in  which  one  would  write,  and  even  though 
a person  is  a good  penman  he  must  not  think  for  a moment  that  his 
style  of  lettering  would  suffice  for  the  engraver.  The  style  of  script 
letters  preferred  by  the  author  is  that  style  known  as  bank-note 
script,  and  also  a style  which  is  the  shade  style  used  among  card 
engravers,  and  which  we  will  here  give.  We  must  first  learn  the 
correct  angle  and  correct  proportions  of  one  bar  or  line  of  a letter 
to  another.  This  will  seem  to  some  to  be  too  technical  to  be  of 
value,  but  it  is  necessary  that  the  student  in  engraving  should  know 
above  all  other  things  the  correct  formation  of  the  script  alphabet, 
it  being  the  style  that  he  will  be  generally  called  on  to  engrave,  and 
with  rapidity. 


47 


48 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


The  angle  of  the  script  alphabet  is  usually  about  52°,  and  the 
relative  proportion  of  the  lower  case,  or  small  letters,  to  the  capitals 
is  ordinarily  about  one-third  the  height  of  the  capitals.  We  will 
use  this  scale  as  a nucleus,  it  being  understood  that  this  is  a strictly 
mechanical  letter,  and  such  variances  from  the  style  here  outlined 
can  be  made  as  will  please  the  artistic  eye  of  the  advanced  student, 
but  the  beginner  must  remember  that  he  must  strictly  follow  the 
general  form  of  the  letters  in  order  to  reach  any  degree  of  satis- 
faction. We  have  previously  mentioned  and  illustrated  the  pro- 
tractor, and  such  mention  has  there  been  made  of  mechanical 
drawing,  that  when  we  say  the  letters  should  be  made  on  an  angle 
of  52°,  no  further  explanation  is  needed.  There  are  three  styles  of 
script  that  can  be  used  bv  the  engraver  to  advantage.  One  style  is 
the  style  where  only  such  loops  as  are  necessary  are  used.  Another 
is  where  loops  are  made  at  all  available  ends  or  beginnings,  and  the 
other  the  back-hand  script.  The  style  of  handwriting  at  the 
present  time  being  perpendicular,  it  is  receiving  popular  favor  with 
some  engravers,  but  it  is  generally  conceded  that  a style  of  script 
on  an  angle  of  50°  or  52°  is  the  best. 

SKETCHING  LETTERS. 

At  Fig.  48  we  show  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet  (the  capital) 
which  represents  the  method  of  sketching.  Sketching  or  “marking 

out”  is  one  of  the  points  in  engraving 
that  is  overlooked  or  ignored  by  many 
engravers,  as  they  consider  it  necessary 
to  design  a letter  accurately  in  detail. 
This  is  an  erroneous  idea.  The  letters 
should  be  simply  sketched,  as  shown  at 
Fig.  48,  it  only  being  necessary  to 
convey  to  the  engraver’s  eye  by  such  sketch  the  general  form  of 
the  letter.  The  exact  detail  of  the  letter  can  be  carried  out  with 
the  graver  with  much  more  accuracy  than  the  pencil. 

To  further  prove  this  common  error  among  engravers  we  will 
ask  the  reader,  if  occasion  ever  arises,  to  examine  a plate  which  a 
card  engraver  is  about  to  cut,  and  he  will  observe  that  he  simply 
uses  the  guide  line  and  scratches  lines  representing  the  main  bars 
of  his  letters  on  the  plate  on  the  correct  angle.  To  one  who  is  not 
familiar  with  this  class  of  engraving,  the  sketch  is  so  incomplete  as 
to  the  exact  formation  of  the  letter  that  it  would  not  be  intelligible 


Fig.  48 


Script  Letters. 


49 


to  one  not  familiar  with  engraving  sketches.  To  illustrate  this 
point  the  word  ‘ ‘ and  ’ ’ being  easy  to  sketch,  we  show  same  at  Fig.  49, 
sketched  as  it  should  be  to  be  engraved, 
with  any  experience  will  readily  agree 
that  from  this  sketch  he  can  more  accu- 
rately make  the  letters  than  he  could  if 
he  endeavored  to  sketch  the  hair  lines 
and  all  the  details  of  the  letter.  Sketches 
for  engraving  are  sometimes  seen  where  the  designer  sketched  each 
line  representing  hair  lines,  the  width  of  which  was  four  or  five 
times  as  great  as  the  hair  lines  should  be,  and  when  the  question  is 
asked,  ‘ ‘ How  do  you  know  from  that  sketch  whether  to  follow  the 
center  of  your  sketch  line  on  the  right  side  or  the  left  side?”  the 
designer’s  reply  is  that  he  would  cut  the  line  so  as  to  properly 
connect  up,  and  all  on  the  right  angle  with  the  next  letter.  Then 
if  asked  the  reason  why  he  made  the  hair  line  at  all  if  it  was  not 
used,  he  will  admit  that  it  was  not  necessary.  At  the  same  time 
there  are  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  engravers  making  these  errors 
every  day.  The  student  in  engraving  must  first  learn  that  accuracy 
and  rapidity  are  required.  Rapidity  in  this  case  is  gained  by 
minimizing  the  amount  of  sketching.  Accuracy  is  gained  by 
making  lines  straight  down  on  the  angle  of  a correct  degree  for 
the  letters  to  be  engraved.  It  will  be  seen  from  what  we  have 
mentioned,  that  the  sketches  for  all  engravings  should  be  made  by 
broken  lines  and  free  from  hand  drawing.  The  pencil  or  stylus  is  held 
in  the  hand  as  one  would  hold  a pen  or  pencil  in  regular  writing, 
and  the  weight  of  the  hand  rests  on  the  fourth  finger  or  fourth  and 
third  fingers,  as  the  artist  prefers.  It  is  the  same  in  designing  for 
engraving  as  in  writing.  It  is  not  necessary  that  when  learning  to 
do  the  work  the  artist  should  hold  his  pencil  or  stylus  in  any 
particular  way,  it  being  natural  for  one  person  to  hold  it  in  an 
entirely  different  way  from  another.  The  method  mentioned  above 
is  the  common  way,  and  one  which  should  be  followed  if  habit  is 
not  formed  in  other  ways. 

CUTTING  THE  SCRIPT  ALPHABET. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  correct  method 
of  cutting  the  letters,  and  in  doing  this  we  will  give  the  correct 
formation  in  detail  in  each  and  every  letter  and  figure  of  the  script 
alphabet  that  requires  special  attention.  The  letters,  as  shown. 


A student  in  engraving 


Fig.  49 


50 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


while  not  models  of  perfection,  yet  in  general  formation  are  mechan- 
ically correct.  The  attention  of  the  reader  is  directed  to  the  fact 
that  these  letters  and  all  illustrations  in  this  work  are  etchings 
made  from  sketches  by  the  author  and  are  not  specimens  of 
engraving,  but  the  degree  of  mechanical  accuracy  is  correct.  As 
to  the  proper  method  of  cutting  the  capital  stem  or  line  of  beauty, 
which  is  shown  at  Figs.  50  and  51,  many  good  engravers  differ. 


The  line  of  beauty  shown  here  is  not  shaded.  In  some  cases  these 
lines  are  shaded  and  in  some  they  are  not,  the  shading  depending  upon 
the  letter.  The  author  generally  finds  it  best  to  cut  a hair  line  capital 
stem  down  instead  of  up,  and  all  that  are  to  be  shaded  cut  up 
instead  of  down,  the  reasons  advanced  for  this  being  that  in  those 
letters  wTere  the  line  of  beauty  is  a hair  line,  such  top  should  be 
pointed,  and  it  is  more  natural  to  begin  a line  pointed  than  it  is  to 
end  it  up  pointed. 

At  Fig.  50  we  show  at  ^ a hair  line  of  beauty  cut  up,  illustrating 
the  common  error  of  shading  it  at  the  top.  When  the  graver 
arrives  at  the  point  marked  C the  natural  tendency  of  the  hand,  as 
it  curves  around  to  the  left  at  that  point,  would  be  to  turn  over  to 
the  right,  thereby  forming  the  shade.  Should  the  reader  cut  this  line 
both  ways  he  will  observe  the  error,  and  his  attention  having  been 
called  to  it  he  w'ould  probably  follow  the  former  method  of  cutting 
such  lines  downward.  Of  course,  the  line  of  beauty  that  is  shaded 
should  end  up  pointed  the  same  as  one  that  is  not  shaded,  but  it 
being  more  natural  to  shade  the  letter  to  the  right  than  to  the  left 
of  the  capital  stem,  it  is  preferred  to  cut  it  up,  and  when  arriving 
at  the  point  C,  Fig.  51,  the  line  of  beauty  being  a shade  line,  great 
care  should  be  exercised  to  hold  the  graver  in  such  a position  as  to 
cut  a perfect  V-shaped  incision. 

At  D,  Fig.  50,  we  illustrate  the  capital  stem  or  line  of  beauty, 
which  we  will  use  as  a means  of  explaining  the  exact  method  of 
finishing  the  end  of  same.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  said  line  of 
beauty  is  severed  at  the  extreme  end,  which  is  done  as  a means  of 


Script  Letters. 


51 


illustrating  the  point  where  the  two  ends  should  connect.  The  line 
of  beauty,  if  a hair  line,  as  before  stated,  would  be  cut  down  in  the 
direction  of  the  arrow,  the  incision  being  a perfect  V-shape,  which 
would  make  a hair  line,  care  being  taken  not  to  cut  too  deep,  and 
when  curving  to  the  left  the  student  will  observe  that  the  graver 
will  grind  or  cut  away  and  not  round  as  steady  as  when  curving  to 
the  right  or  going  perfectly  straight.  The  cause  of  this  is  rather 
difficult  to  explain,  but  it  seems  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  under 
edge  of  the  graver  being  directly  downward,  and  the  line  being* 
curved  on  a sufficient  arc  to  necessitate  the  sharp  under  side  of  the 
graver  to  curve  around  over  the  extreme  edge  of  the  incision  and 
the  surface  of  the  plate,  thereby  peeling  off  the  said  edge,  the  graver 
is  thus  made  to  run  hard,  and  in  some  cases  makes  the  left  side  of 
the  incision  appear  irregular.  Now,  the  question  is  often  asked  by 
students  why  it  is  that  in  turning  to  the  right  we  do  not  experience 
the  same  difficulty.  If  we  turn  the  graver  to  the  left,  holding  it  in 
exactly  the  same  position,  which  in  this  case  would  be  perfectly 
erect  in  the  correct  position  to  cut  a V-shaped  incision,  and  the 
graver  be  turned  around  to  the  right,  the  same  position  being 
retained,  the  same  difficulties  would  be  encountered  if  the  hand 
was  not  moved  with  more  dexterity  in  that  direction  than  in  the 
opposite  one.  The  fact  that  it  is  more  natural  for  one  to  cut  around 
to  the  right  is  the  reason  why  even  though  cutting  a hair  line,  the 
cut  is  found  to  be  smoother  than  when  made  to  the  left.  But  the 
principal  reason,  we  believe,  is  that  a great  many  of  our  engravers, 
who  do  not  follow  strict  rules  as  to  their  method  of  cutting,  simply 
turn  the  graver  to  the  right,  thereby  cutting  an  incision  with  a 
greater  angle  on  one  side  than  on  the  other,  in  which  case  the  angle 
of  the  graver  on  the  right  side  would  be  on  sufficient  angle  to  slide 
over  the  edge  of  the  incision  to  the  surface  of  the  plate  parallel  with 
said  angle,  thereby  avoiding  the  extreme  cutting  edge  coming  in 
contact  with  the  edge  of  incision  and  the  plate.  If  the  graver  is 
held  in  exactly  the  opposite  way  to  the  left  and  moved  with  the 
same  degree  of  steadiness  and  accuracy,  it  would  cut  just  as 
smoothly. 

Again  referring  to  D,  Fig.  50,  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty  is 
finished  by  throwing  the  graver  out  at  the  point  where  it  is  here 
represented  as  being  severed,  which  in  practice  it  should  not  be. 
It  is  so  thrown  out  in  this  case  merely  for  illustration  sake,  showing 
the  article  which  the  engraver  is  working  on  being  held  in  the  same 


52 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


position.  As  the  graver  is  thrown  out  it  is  again  inserted  at  the 
right  point  of  the  stroke  shown  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty. 
In  order  to  make  this  cut,  the  graver  is  turned  over  to  the  right  as 
it  is  inserted,  and  as  the  hand  is  turned  over  to  the  right  the  graver 
and  the  article  in  hand  are  automatically  turned,  the  former  to  the 
right  and  the  latter  to  the  left. 

At  Fig.  51  we  illustrate  the  line  of  beauty  shaded,  and  all  the  time 
that  we  mention  the  line  of  beauty  or  capital  stem,  which  is  the 
same,  the  student  is  requested  to  remember  that  a line  of  beauty  or 
capital  stem  is,  in  general  formation,  the  exact  form  of  a scroll, 
which  was  mentioned  in  our  beginning  exercises.  The  shading  of 
the  line  of  beauty  is  one  of  the  very  important  things  for  an  engraver 
to  remember,  the  great  trouble  with  a majority  of  engravers  being 
that  they  do  not  end  the  line  up  very  fine  at  the  top.  This  point 
having  been  mentioned  in  a previous  section,  description  is  not 
necessary  here.  In  shading  this  line  of  beauty  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  line  is  a hair  line  from  the  beginning  around  to  A,  at 
which  point  it  begins  gradually  to  increase  in  width,  and  con- 
tinues to  increase  until  the  graver  arrives  at  B,  which  is  midway 
between  the  top  and  bottom  guide  line.  From  B X.o  C the  line  is 
gradually  decreased,  and  at  C is  brought  to  a perfect  hair  line 
or  V-shaped  incision.  The  beginner  w'ill,  by  observing  work 
of  unskilled  engravers,  find  that  a great  many  begin  shading 
the  capital  letters  down  too  low,  and  for  this  reason  the  location 
of  this  shading  is  here  given. 

Another  error  is  illustrated  at  Fig.  51,  where  the  left  side 
of  the  line  of  beauty  is  shown  in  perfect  formation.  Before  adding 
the  shade  stroke  on  the  left  the  right  side  of  the  line  is  shown  to 
curve  more  than  the  left,  which  is  not  correct.  The  curve  on  the 
left  side  of  the  line  should  be  exactly  the  same  on  the  left  as  on  the 
right.  Referring  to  Fig.  51,  it  is  obviously  plain  to  the  beginner 
that  in  order  to  counterbalance  the  decrease  in  width  of  the  incision 
by  turning  the  graver  over  to  the  right,  the  graver  point,  when 
arriving  at  the  point  A,  instead  of  traversing  the  exact  form  of  the 
line  of  beauty  should  be  turned  so  as  to  curve  to  the  left  of  the 
same,  inasmuch  as  the  turning  of  the  graver  to  the  right  causes  the 
extreme  edge  of  the  right  side  of  the  incision  to  curve  to  the  right, 
and  as  the  incision  is  decreased  by  turning  the  graver  upward,  the 
point  of  the  graver  from  B X.o  C is  gradually  turned  to  the  right  so 
as  to  arrive  on  the  line  of  beauty  at  C. 


Script  Letters. 


53 


CORRECT  FORMS  OF  OVALS  AND  LOOPS  FOR  SCRIPT. 


niz. 

A B 

Fig.  63 


One  of  the  most  neglected  portions  of  script  letters  is  the 
connecting.  The  unskilled  or  careless  engraver  will  manifest  his 
inability  more  prominently  in  his  formation  of  ovals  and  loops  than 
in  any  other  way.  At  A,  Fig.  52  we  illustrate 
a loop  or  oval,  which  is  the  general  form  of  a 
loop  used  in  script  letters,  showing  a line  drawn 
through  the  center  of  the  loop.  The  curve  on 
the  right  and  the  left,  using  the  inside  as  a guide 
line,  are  exactly  the  same,  the  swell  forming  the  shade  being  all  on 
the  outside  of  the  line  at  the  left.  This  is  the  foundation  of  the 
error  made  by  most  of  students  who  try  to  cut  correctly,  their 
theory  being  that  the  point  of  the  graver,  where  a shade  is  made, 
should  traverse  the  same  arc  in  an  oval  or  a loop  as  the  opposite 
side,  which  is  a hair  line.  This  is  obviously  wrong,  as  is  shown  at 
the  drawing  A,  Fig.  52.  In  this  case  the  loop  looks  flat  on  the 
right  side,  yet  the  curve  on  the  right  side  is  exactly  the  same  as  on 
the  left,  using  the  inside  of  the  left  as  a guide,  showing  that  the 
loop  is  out  of  true  just  as  much  as  the  width  of  the  shade,  and  this 
will  be  true  when  applied  to  loops  or  ovals  of  whatsoever  character. 

The  student  should  make  it  a point  to  so  engrave  the  letters 
that  the  loops  will  be  concentrically  formed,  and  he  should  never 
end  up  a loop,  other  than  the  end  of  the  line  opening  on  an  arc, 
concentrically  with  the  outer  portion  of  the  loop.  At  B,  Fig.  52, 
we  illustrate  the  oval,  cut  and  formed  correctly.  Here  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  shade  is  on  the  inside  of  the  arc,  which  arc  is  the 
same  on  the  left  side  as  on  the  right  side.  The  appearance  of  this 
is  correct,  which  proves  the  theory  that  the  shade  forming  the  oval 
should  be  on  the  inside  of  the  arc.  A student  in  the  art  of  engraving 
should  practice  diligently  on  loops  and  other  preliminary  practice 
work  previously  mentioned.  An  engraver  who  is  capable  of 
engraving  perfectly-formed  ovals  and  loops  will  be  able  to  engrave 
very  accurate  script.  To  further  demonstrate  the 
theory  of  a correctly-formed  loop  and  show  the  student 
how  the  shade  comes  on  the  inside  of  the  loop,  we  illus- 
trate at  Fig.  53  the  left  side  of  the  oval  partially  shaded, 
which  shows  that  the  lower  half  is  exactly  the  same 
curvature  at  the  right  and  left,  and  that  the  shade  comes  on  the 
inside  of  the  arc  at  the  left,  which  will  make  a perfectly-formed  loop. 


Fig  5,3. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CUTTING  SMALL  OR  LOWER-CASE  SCRIPT  LETTERS. 


Fig.  54 


Having  instructed  the  student  in  the  line  of  beauty  and  loops, 
theoretically,  we  will  now  take  up  the  engraving  of  lower-case  script 
letters  and  leave  the  cutting  of  the  capitals  until  after  we  have 
thoroughly  gone  through  the  lower-case.  The  object  of  doing  this 
is  that  the  lower-case  letters  are  easier  to  master.  At  Fig.  54  we 
illustrate  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet.  Each 
stroke  as  there  indicated  is  cut  with  the  square 
graver  in  the  direction  of  the  arrows.  Letters  are 
commenced  and  ended  at  each  cross  line.  With 
the  thorough  instruction  which  we  have  passed  through  in  reference 
to  the  exact  formation  of  letters,  scrolls,  lines  of  beauty,  ovals, 
etc. , it  will  not  be  necessary  to  consider  each  letter  in  the  alphabet, 
but  we  will  consider  the  principal  bars  or  limbs  of  such  letters,  which 
will  enable  the  student  (with  an  accurate  copy  which  is  to  follow) 
to  engrave  the  letters  with  an  assurance  of  accuracy. 

At  Fig.  55  we  show  the  point  of  the  graver  in  position  to  cut 
the  left  shade  stroke  of  the  lower-case  A,  with  said  stroke  directly 
in  front  of  the  graver.  As  the  graver  is  pushed 
forward  it  is  gradually  turned  over  to  effect  the 
proper  width  shade  until  the  graver  point  is  nearly 
two-thirds  of  the  wsiy  down  from  the  top  of  the 
lower-case  letter  to  the  bottom.  The  lower-case 
letters  are  engraved  by  cutting  all  the  shade  strokes  that  should  be 
cut  down  first.  Then  the  article  being  engraved  is  reversed,  and  all 
the  strokes  cut  up  as  will  be  shown  later. 

The  second  stroke  of  the  lower-case  A is  the  same  stroke  used 
in  a great  many  other  letters  in  the  script  alphabet  which  will  not 
be  mentioned,  as  the  instructions  given  for  this  stroke 
will  suffice.  At  Fig.  56  we  illustrate  the  second 
stroke,  or  right-hand  shade  stroke,  of  the  A with  the 
graver  above  same  in  position  for  cutting  it.  At  this 
point  the  graver  is  inserted  by  turning  it  over  in  the 
hand  to  the  right  to  such  an  extent  that  when  it  is 


Fig.  55 


Fig.  56 


54 


Cuttmg  Small  or  Lower-Case  Script  Letters. 


55 


¥7 

Fig.  57 


inserted  in  the  metal  it  will  cut  a stroke  the  width  desired.  Great 
care  should  be  exercised  when  the  graver  is  thus  inserted  to  hold  it 
on  the  same  angle  and  same  distance  to  the  right  from  the  body  to 
make  a shade  the  same  depth  and  same  width  from  the  extreme 
beginning  nearly  to  the  end.  When  nearing  the  base  guide  line 
the  graver  is  gradually  turned  up  in  postion  to  cut  a V-shaped 
incision,  and  at  the  same  time  it  is  thus  turned  up  it  is  also  turned 
around  to  the  right  to  effect  the  proper  curve  at  the  bottom. 

At  Fig.  57  we  illustrate  the  principal  shade  stroke 
of  a C and  E,  also  of  an  O,  which  is  the  same  as  the 
first  down  stroke  of  the  A,  and  is  cut  in  a like  manner. 

At.  Fig.  58  we  illustrate  the  first  shade  stroke  of  an 
M or  N.  This  stroke  is  cut  up  instead  of  down.  This  stroke  is 
often  cut  down  by  engravers  who  have  been  thoroughly  instructed 
in  the  art.  It  will  be  obviously  plain  to  any  who  will  try 
both  methods  that  the  method  of  cutting  up  is  correct. 

Fig.  58  The  reason  that  it  is  correct  is,  that  the  stroke  should  be 
squared  at  the  bottom  and  should  end  up  at  the  top  the 
same  as  the  first  down  strokes  of  the  A end  up  at  the  bottom,  which 
is  a gradual  decrease  of  the  shade  stroke  as  it  approaches  the  guide 
line  until  it  reaches  a fine  hair  line,  at  which  point  the  graver  is 
thrown  out.  It  will  be  plainly  seen  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
cut  this  stroke  down  and  produce  the  same  effect.  Therefore,  the 
first  half  of  the  lower-case  N is  cut  up,  also  the  first  two  strokes 
of  the  M. 

At  B,  Fig.  59,  we  show  the  second  or  last  shade  stroke  of  an 
M or  N.  This  stroke  is  what  is  called  a double  cut,  it  being  neces- 
sary to  curve  it  to  the  left  at  the  top  and  to  the  right  at  the  bottom. 
It  will  be  seen  that  a graver  could  not  be  wielded 
in  such  a manner  as  to  cut  the  letter  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy  with  one  stroke.  A stroke 
of  this  form  could  be  cut  with  a flat-face  graver 
by  using  it  in  the  way  necessary  to  cut  what  is 
known  in  old  English  as  a roll  cut,  but  it  would 
not  be  practicable  to  do  so  in  this  case  for  many 
reasons.  The  lower  half  of  the  bar  is  cut  down 
and  the  upper  half  cut  up.  At  B we  show  the 
graver  ready  to  insert  in  the  metal  to  cut  the  lower  half,  and  at  C 
in  like  position  to  cut  the  upper  half.  It  will  be  seen  here  that 
when  the  graver  is  cutting  the  upper  half  it  is  inserted  at  the  extreme 


Fig.  59 


56 


The  Art  oj  Engraving. 


left  of  the  top  of  the  first  cut  made.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  cut  a 
bar  of  a letter  with  a square  graver  so  that  it  will  begin  exactly 
even  with  the  guide  line.  It  is  an  easy  matter  to  start  the  point  oi 
the  graver  so  that  it  will  be  on  the  point  of  the  guide  line,  but  it  is 
quite  difficult  to  cut  the  opposite  side  of  the  shade  stroke  so  that  it 
will  coincide  absolutely  with  the  point  of  beginning. 

A very  skillful  engraver  can  cut  a letter  like  the  top  of  an  A, 
I,  U or  W,  which  begins  parallel  with  the  top  guide  line,  so  that 
it  will  appear  to  be  parallel  with  said  line,  but  it  must  be  con- 
ceded that  a bar  cut  in  this  manner  would  not  be  so  sharp  and 
deep  at  the  point  of  beginning  as  it  ought  to  be,  as  the  said 
beginning  would  necessarily  be  from  the  surface  of  the  metal  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  incision  on  very  much  of  an  angle,  and  the 
slightest  buffing  or  wearing  would  reduce  the  length  of  the  letter  so 
that  it  would  be  very  noticeable.  There  are  a great  many  skilled 
engravers  who  never  square  up  the  top  of  a letter.  In  fact,  they 
do  not  think  it  necessary,  and  say  that  a good  engraver  ought  to 
make  the  cut  in  such  a way  that  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  make 
an  extra  cut  to  square  it  up  on  the  line.  While  this  may  be  true, 
we  must  admit  that  if  an  extra  cut  is  made  to  square  the  top  of 
these  letters  up,  that  portion  of  the  bar  will  be  deeper  than  it  other- 
wise would,  and  it  will  be  sharper  and  clearer  and  would  produce 
the  appearance  that  is  required  in  correctly  and  thoroughly  engraved 
script.  In  view  of  the  various  opinions  on  the  subject  the  author 
would  advise  the  student  to  square  up  the  letters  if  they  need  to  be 
squared,  and  if  in  his  estimation  it  is  not  necessary  to  square  them 
not  to  do  so.  It  will  be  found  that  the  work  can  be  done  with  a 
better  appearance  if  they  are  squared  up  and  the  original 
appearance  will  last  longer  when  subjected  to  wear. 

At  Fig.  6o  we  illustrate  the  top  of  script  letters  that  should 
end  up  parallel  with  the  top  guide  line,  which,  as  here  shown, 
indicates  that  there  is  a little  space  at  the  left 
of  the  extreme  point  of  the  beginning  of  the 
incision  between  the  top  of  the  bar  and  the 
guide  line.  This  is  the  condition  a cut  is 
^ ^ ordinarily  in  when  cut  with  a square  graver. 

^ In  a case  of  this  kind  it  is  obviously  plain 

^ to  the  mind  of  one  who  cares  to  do  the  work 

with  a high  degree  of  perfection  that  if  such  a condition  exists  some 
remedy  should  be  applied  to  correct  it.  The  remedy  is  to  insert 


Cuttmg  Small  or  Lower-Case  Script  Letters. 


57 


the  graver  at  that  point  where  it  was  originally  inserted  and  cut  a 
little  cut  by  pushing  the  graver  forward  in  the  direction  as  indicated 
at  B.  The  point  of  the  graver  in  cutting  this  little  cut  is  inserted 
at  the  point  of  the  bar  marked  A,  and  is  pushed  forward  in  the 
same  direction  as  indicated  by  the  graver  shown  at  B,  and  it  is 
pushed  forward  until  the  right  cutting  edge  of  the  graver  arrives  at 
the  point  of  the  B indicated  by  the  arrow  C Thus,  by  cutting  this 
little  extra  cut,  the  bar  of  the  letter  will  be  sharp  and  clean  cut  at 
the  top,  and  as  deep  as  the  remaining  portion  of  the  bar  and,  as 
before  stated,  will  maintain  its  orginal  appearance  a longer  period. 

The  top  of  A,  D,  I,  J,  P,  O,  T and  U are  thus  squared  up, 
also  the  bottom  of  K,  H,  F and  P.  Another  very  important  point 
for  the  student  to  learn  in  cutting  script  letters  is  the  curving  of 
letters  forming  loops  below  the  base  guide  line.  If  the  rules  herein  set 
down  are  strictly  followed  for  cutting  these  loops  a perfect  loop  will 
be  made  each  time.  If  one  does  not  follow  such  rules  one  is  apt 
to  make  the  loop  incorrect  and  not  know  wherein  such  inaccuracy 
exists.  At  Fig.  6i  we  illustrate  the  lower-case  G which  is  cut  the 
same  as  the  A,  except  that  the  second  stroke  is  con- 
tinued below  the  base  guide  line  forming  a loop  instead 
of  turning  when  said  line  is  reached  as  the  A does. 

This  letter  is  squared  up  in  the  manner  previously 
mentioned  for  squaring  such  letters.  The  dot  on  the 
base  guide  line  shows  the  point  where  the  hair  line  form- 
ing the  left  half  of  the  loop  crosses  the  main  stroke  of  the  letter. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  base  guide  line  and  the  two  strokes  forming 
the  loop  cross  at  exactly  the  same  point,  as  all  letters  should  that 
are  formed  with  a loop  below  the  base  guide  line.  The  lower-case  R 
and  S are  two  letters  that  give  students  some  trouble  in  cutting, 
which  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  do  not  cut  the  top  of  the  hair  line 
correctly. 

At  Fig.  62  we  illustrate  an  R and  an  S.  The  hair  line  which 
terminates  in  the  shade  line  at  the  top  of  the  top  guide  line  of  the 
^ lower-case  letters  is  cut  up  in  the  direction  of  the 
B arrow.  The  right  stroke  of  the  letter  is  cut  down  in 


the  manner  described  for  cutting  such  strokes.  The 


Fig.  61 


Fig.  63 


difficult  part,  however,  in  cutting  this  letter  is  the 
hair  line,  which  would  seem  to  the  student  to  be  very  easy,  but 
the  average  student  finds  it  difficult  to  insert  the  graver  as  it 
crosses  the  top  guide  line  in  such  a way  as  to  make  this  cut  as  it 


58 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


should  be  made.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  in  making  this  cut  that 
it  imitates  a loop,  and  if  it  imitates  a loop  it  should  be  oval  in 
shape  ; hence  the  necessity  of  holding  the  graver  in  the  hand 
so  as  to  cut  a V-shaped  incision  when  making  the  cut.  When  the 
graver  point  arrives  at  the  top  guide  line,  the  graver  being  held  in 
the  position  necessary  to  cut  the  hair  line  as  above  mentioned, 
the  graver  is  simply  dipped  in  it  and  pushed  quickly  directly  down- 
ward without  turning  over  to  the  right  or  the  left.  This  swells  the 
line  as  much  to  the  left  as  to  the  right,  and  then,  instead  of  break- 
ing the  cut  off  by  lifting  the  graver  directly  up  when  the  proper 
length  has  been  reached,  it  is  thrown  out  by  throwing  it  more  to 
the  front  thus  ending  the  stroke  oval  shaped  instead  of  the  shape 
shown  at  B.  The  latter  shape  is  the  shape  of  ending  in  which  this 
cut  is*  practiced  by  some  beginners.  They  think  that  when  a 
heavier  stroke  is  desired  the  proper  thing  to  do  is  to  turn  the  graver 
to  the  right,  which  in  almost  all  cases  is  true,  but  not  in  this  case 
for  the  reasons  above  mentioned.  Therefore,  the  student  is  re- 
quested to  give  special  attention  to  these  two  cuts  in  cutting  the 
lower-case  letters. 

At  C,  Fig.  63,  we  show  the  S where  the  dotted  line  represents 
the  hair  line  and  the  graver  in  position  to  cut  the  shade  stroke  at 
the  right.  This  stroke  is  cut  upwards  as  the  graver  indicates,  but 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  stroke  is  not  a curved  stroke 
all  the  way  to  the  top.  When  arriving  at  the  point 
marked  A the  shade  stroke  is  converted  into  a hair 
line,  and  from  that  point  to  the  top  guide  line  the 
line  should  be  made  a perfect  hair  line,  and  from 
that  point  of  the  letter  indicated  by  the  point  of 
the  graver  around  to  the  beginning  of  the  letter 
it  should  also  be  a hair  line.  It  might  be  well  to  here  state 
to  the  student  that  almost  invariably  when  a beginner  cuts 
script  letters  for  the  first  time  he  does  not  sufficiently  discrimi- 
nate between  the  hair  lines  and  the  shade  strokes.  As  has  been 
mentioned  previously  the  natural  tendency  of  the  beginner  is  to 
turn  the  hand  over  in  holding  the  graver  so  that  it  will  make  a 
shade  stroke,  and  this  tendency  follows  the  beginner  through  his 
preliminary  work  if  he  is  not  extremely  cautious,  and  it  will  give 
him  trouble  when  he  arrives  at  the  stage  of  cutting  the  most  beau- 
tiful letters,  the  script  alphabet.  A hair  line  should  be  a hair  line 
from  beginning  to  end.  Hair  lines  in  script  letters  never  vary  in 


Cutting  Small  or  Lower-Case  Script  Letters.  59 

their  width.  The  shade  strokes  should  increase  and  decrease  in 
their,  widths  uniformly  and  a shade  stroke  should  never  be  con- 
tinued past  a point  where  a hair  line  begins,  and  as  to  where  such 
point  of  beginning  and  ending  exists  we  will  show  the  complete 
script  alphabet  so  that  the  student  will  have  an  accurate  guide. 
Another  letter  that  gives  the  student  some  trouble  is  the  lower-case 
E,  the  trouble  being  that  he  does  not  start  to  cut  the  loop  at  the  top 
correctly.  Some  will  begin  too  lar  down  and  ^ome  will  begin  too 
high.  All  these  things  should  be  governed  by  set 
rules.  The  rule  in  this  case  is  to  begin  to  cut  — - 

the  loop  at  the  top  at  a point  midway  between  the 
top  and  the  base  guide  line,  as  shown  in  our  illus-  rif-.  oi 
tration  at  Fig.  64. 

At  Fig.  65  we  illustrate  the  down  stroke  of  an  H,  K or  F with 
the  graver  in  position  at  the  bottom  to  cut  the  little  extra  cut  indi- 
cated by  the  dotted  line  B at  the  bottom  of  said  stroke.  That 
portion  of  the  stroke  C,  which  is  the  termi- 
nation of  the  three  letters  mentioned  as  here 
outlined,  is  in  the  form  that  it  would  end 
up  by  cutting  downward.  In  other  words, 
it  is  impossible  to  cut  it  so  that  it  will  end 
square  on  the  lower  guide  line.  It  is  there- 
fore necessary  to  cut  the  little  extra  cut 
indicated  by  the  dotted  lines  in  order  to 
square  it  up.  The  graver  in  cutting  this  extra  cut  is  inserted  at  the 
base  of  the  stroke  as  here  indicated. 

The  strokes  that  we  have  here  mentioned  constitute  all  of  the 
strokes  in  lower-case  script  letters  that  would  need  special  attention. 
All  the  other  strokes  being  easy  to  cut,  or  of  such  simple  character 
that  the  student  would  be  able  to  cut  them  with  the  instructions  he 
has  received  in  regard  to  other  cuts,  further  reference  to  the  lower- 
case letters  is  deemed  unnecessary. 

We  would  say,  however,  in  concluding  the  lower-case  script 
letters  that  in  cutting  them  the  down  strokes  are  all  cut  first  ; then 
the  plate  or  article  in  hand  being  engraved  is  reversed  and  all  the 
shade  strokes  cut  up  ; then  all  the  hair  lines  are  cut,  which  finishes 
the  letter. 

The  word  “Ethelind,”  shown  at  Fig.  66,  is  here  shown  as  it 
would  appear  after  the  engraver  has  cut  all  of  the  down  strokes  and 
is  ready  to  cut  the  up  strokes,  which  are  the  half  of  the  stroke  of 


6o 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


the  M at  the  left  and  the  first  shade  stroke  of  the  N and  the  upper 
half  of  the  shade  stroke  of  the  H at  the  right. 

The  graver  is  usually,  if  not  always,  thrown  out  in  script  letters 
at  the  center  of  a curve  at  the  top  or  at  the  bottom.  As  shown  by 
the  method  of  cutting  the  word  “Ethelind,'’  it  is  plain  to  be  seen 
that  the  object  in  throwing  the  graver  out  at  the  termination  of  a 
curve  at  the  top  or  at  bottom  is  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  turning 


the  article  completely  around  in  one’s  hand.  This  method  of  en- 
graving is  more  rapid  than  any  other,  and  enables  the  student  to 
quickly  terminate  a shade  stroke  and  as  dexterously  begin  a hair 
line.  If  letters  are  cut  in  this  manner,  it  is  not  necessary  to  turn  the 
graver  and  the  article  in  hand  so  much,  which,  by  the  way,  are  both 
turned  automatically  when  engraving.  In  this  case  it  would  not  be 
necessary  to  turn,  in  making  a curve,  more  than  45°  of  a circle, 
which  enables  us  to  do  the  work  by  cutting  the  strokes  up  and  out 
and  down  and  out  with  much  more  rapidity  and  a higher  degree 
of  accuracy. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  FORMATION  OF  THE  SCRIPT  CAPITALS. 

At  Fig.  67  we  illustrate  the  complete  script  alphabet.  We 
here  show  the  lower-case  letters,  previously  described,  simply  to 
illustrate  their  respective  relation  in  size  as  compared  with  the 
capitals.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  lower-case  letters  are  one-third 
the  height  of  the  capitals.  In  the  first  letter  of  the  alphabet,  the 
capital  A,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  loop  at  the  lower  right  side  of  the 
letter  should  come  up  half  way  or  nearly  half  way  to  the  top  of  the 


the  center  down  to  the  left.  The  shade  stroke  at  the  top  should  start 
in  a very  fine  hair  line  and  the  shade  should  be  gradually  increased 
until  nearly  two-thirds  down,  at  which  point  it  should  be  gradually 
diminished  until  the  stroke  nearly  reaches  the  base  line,  at  which 
point  it  is  thrown  out.  The  student  will  remember  that  we  have 
formerly  mentioned  the  fact  that  all  loops  should  be  cut  by  throw- 
ing the  graver  out  in  the  center  of  the  loop  ; in  other  words,  at  the 
bottom  and  the  top  of  the  loop. 

In  the  formation  of  the  capital  B the  loop  at  the  upper  left 
corner  should  come  down  nearly  to  the  top  lower-case  guide  line. 
The  loop  at  the  right  of  the  center  of  the  line  of  beauty  should  be 


62 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


on  the  line  half  way  between  the  top  and  the  bottom  of  the  letter,  and 
the  upper  curve  at  the  right  of  the  line  of  beauty  should  be  closer 
to  the  line  of  beauty  than  the  lower  one,  and  should  be  as  here  shown, 
and  as  the  dimensions  would  indicate,  shorter  than  the  lower  one. 

In  the  capital  C the  loop  comes  up  nearly  to  the  center  line, 
the  same  as  the  loop  of  the  A.  The  loop,  as  shown  in  our  illustra- 
tion, is  shaded  both  at  the  right  and  the  left.  This  is  done  to 
show  the  student  that  it  can  be  shaded  in  either  place  or  in  some 
cases  in  both.  The  writer  prefers  shading  the  loop  at  the  right  in 
cutting  the  stroke  up.  The  main  stroke  of  this  letter  is  cut  down, 
and  the  stroke  at  the  right  of  the  main  stroke  is  cut  down  on  less 
angle  than  the  main  stroke.  Said  stroke  should  cross  the  main 
stroke  half  way  between  the  base  and  the  top  guide  line. 

The  line  crossing  the  line  of  beauty  in  the  D should  first  be 
cut  from  the  line  of  beauty  to  the  end  of  the  loop.  Then  from  the 
beginning  of  said  line  around  up  to  the  top  of  the  loop.  The  main 
loop  of  the  capital  D should  be  cut  down  to  the  top  of  the  lower- 
case guide  line  the  same  as  the  similar  loop  in  the  capital  B. 

In  the  capital  E the  loop  in  the  center  should  be  on  the  center 
line,  drawn  half  way  between  the  top  of  the  letter  and  the  base, 
which  would  make  the  top  loop  of  the  letter  smaller  than  the  bottom 
one,  this  being  the  correct  form  of  the  loop.  This  loop,  as  here 
shown,  is  shaded  both  at  the  left  and  the  right  to  show  the  student 
that  it  can  be  shaded  in  both  places  a little  or  shaded  more  on  either 
side  as  the  artist  prefers.  The  author’s  opinion  of  this  loop  is  the 
same  as  that  of  the  C,  viz. , that  the  lower  loop  presents  a better 
appearance  if  shaded  on  the  right  side  in  cutting  up  instead  of 
being  shaded  in  cutting  down.  Of  course,  the  main  stroke  of  the 
letter  is  always  cut  down. 

The  capital  F is  simply  a line  of  beauty  crossed  in  the  center, 
as  illustrated.  In  cutting  the  top  stroke  the  loop  should  come 
down  nearly  to  the  center  guide  line.  In  practice  it  will  be  found 
very  convenient  to  cut  this  top  of  the  F by  beginning  in  the  center 
of  the  top  and  cutting  around  to  the  bottom  of  the  loop  and  then 
cutting  the  remaining  portion  of  the  top  from  that  beginning  to  the 
end  in  the  opposite  direction. 

The  capital  G is  considered  by  many  beginners  a difficult  letter 
to  cut,  due  largely,  we  believe,  to  the  fact  that  strictly  mechanical 
lines  in  its  formation  are  hardly  practicable.  It  will  be  seen,  how- 
ever, that  the  upper  right  loop  protrudes  slightly  over  the  end  of 


The  Formation  of  the  Script  Capitals,  63 

the  line  of  beauty,  and  that  the  main  stroke  of  the  top  is  cut  down 
to  the  lower-case  guide  line,  and  the  stroke  at  the  left  of  the  upper 
main  stroke  down  to  the  center  guide  line.  The  line  of  beauty  is 
cut  and  formed  exactly  the  same  as  any  line  of  beauty,  excepting 
that  it  is  shorter,  coming  slightly  above  the  center  guide  line. 

The  capital  H is  engraved  in  many  different  styles.  The  style 
here  shown  is,  in  the  author’s  opinion,  the  easiest  cut,  and  it  is 
preferred  because  of  such  ease  in  cutting  and  the  fact  that  it  is  as 
artistic  as  the  other  styles.  The  portion  changing  the  style,  to 
which  we  refer  particularly,  is  the  top  of  the  line  of  beauty,  the  one 
here  shown,  and  in  our  opinion  the  most  simple,  being  cut  in  two 
strokes.  This  loop  will  come  down  nearly  to  the  center  guide  line. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  shade  stroke  at  the  right  of  the  line  of 
beauty  is  nearly  parallel  with  the  latter,  and  if  a letter  is  made  in 
this  way  it  is  quite  sure  to  be  correct,  the  great  trouble  with  most 
beginners  being  that  they  form  the  line  of  beauty  in  too  much  of  a 
scroll  shape,  thereby  making  it  impossible  to  cut  the  stroke  at  the 
right  parallel  with  it.  And  a point  may  be  given  here  to  the  be- 
ginner, if  he  does  not  exaggerate  the  suggestion,  that  will  be  of 
benefit  to  him  in  cutting  this  letter.  That  is,  to  make  the  line  of 
beauty  of  an  H straighter  than  any  other  line  of  beauty  in  the  script 
capitals.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  not  to  make  the  line  too 
straight.  The  loop  at  the  right  at  the  top  is  formed  by  the  hair 
line  crossing  the  two  main  strokes  of  the  H midway  between  the 
top  and  bottom  of  the  letter.  The  loop  at  the  right,  the  same  as 
all  other  small  loops  in  the  script  capitals,  is  cut  up  nearly  to  the 
lower-case  guide  line. 

The  capital  I is  formed  simply  by  a line  of  beauty  on  the  correct 
angle  of  50°  to  52°  with  the  stroke  at  the  left,  which  is  cut  down 
and  crosses  the  line  of  beauty  on  the  center  guide  line. 

The  capital  J is,  in  general  formation,  the  same  as  the  I, 
excepting  that  a loop  is  formed  at  the  base  of  the  letter  and  that 
this  loop  protrudes  below  the  line  one  and  a half  times  the  height  of 
the  lower-case  letters.  The  loop  at  the  left  of  the  line  of  beauty 
forming  the  top  stroke  should  come  down  to  the  top  of  the  lower- 
case guide  line. 

The  first  half  of  the  capital  K is  formed  the  same  as  the  capital 
H.  The  upper  half  of  the  right  portion  of  the  letter  is  a hair  line 
only.  In  some  cases  it  is  shaded  slightly  and  a loop  is  formed  at 
the  end,  but  the  style  here  given  is  used  mostly.  The  lower  half 


64 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


of  the  right  portion  of  the  letter  is  a double  cut  which  was  thor- 
oughly described  in  a previous  chapter  as  applied  to  the  lower-case 
N and  M.  The  little  loop  at  the  right  center  of  the  capital  stem  is 
formed  midway  between  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  letter.  The  loop 
at  the  lower  right  of  the  letter  is  not  made  quite  as  high  as  like  loops 
in  other  letters.  The  reason  for  this  will  be  plainly  seen  if  the  stu- 
dent will  try  cutting  it  in  both  ways.  Some  engravers  cut  this  loop 
nearly  to  the  center  guide  line  the  same  as  a like  loop  in  the  capital 
H,  but,  generally  speaking,  it  is  made  smaller  than  such  loops  in 
other  letters. 

The  capital  L is  formed  by  a line  of  beauty,  the  stroke  at  the 
left  being  cut  down  and  crossing  the  capital  stem  in  the  center,  and 
the  base  line  is  cut  by  cutting  from  the  line  of  beauty  to  the  left  and 
the  end  of  the  loop  beginning  again  on  the  line  of  beauty  and  cut- 
ting to  the  right.  If  this  beginning  of  cutting  both  ways  is  made 
midway  between  where  the  line  crosses  the  line  of  beauty  and  the  end 
of  the  loop,  it  will  not  matter.  In  fact,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  such 
a position  is  adopted  more  universally  than  beginning  directly  on 
the  line  of  beauty.  This  base  line  of  the  capital  L is  rather  difficult 
to  cut  without  making  the  line  appear  to  curve  downward  too 
much.  This  is  avoided  by  carrying  the  point  of  the  graver  upward 
to  counterbalance  the  curving  downward  of  the  stroke  by  the  graver 
being  turned  over  to  the  right  to  make  the  shade. 

Engravers  do  not  agree  as  to  the  method  of  cutting  the  capital 
M,  but  the  author  believes  that  the  best  way  to  cut  the  letter  is  to 
cut  all  the  strokes  excepting  the  right  stroke  of  the  loop  down. 
The  object  of  cutting  them  down  is  that  the  top  of  the  letter  should 
be  pointed,  and,  as  previously  stated,  it  is  easier  to  make  an  artistic 
point  of  such  a letter  by  cutting  down  than  by  cutting  up,  as 
the  tendency  to  shading  the  top  of  such  letters  at  the  curve  just 
before  reaching  the  point  is  such  that  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  cut 
this  stroke  down.  The  tendency  to  making  this  line  heavier  at  the 
top  was  described  in  a previous  chapter.  The  perfect  mechanical 
capital  M would  be  so  outlined  as  to  make  the  first  hair  line  and 
the  first  shade  stroke,  and  the  second  hair  line  and  the  second 
shade  stroke  nearly  an  equal  distance  apart  on  the  graduating  scale. 
Of  course,  there  wall  be  a variance  in  cutting  these  lines,  but  if  the 
student  wall  bear  in  mind  that  he  should  get  them  equal  distances 
apart  he  wall  have  a gage  to  go  by  which  will  assist  him  in  cutting 
the  letter,  and  be  conducive  to  great  accuracy. 


The  Formation  oj  the  Script  Capitals. 


65 


In  cutting  the  capital  N it  will  be  seen  that  the  two  hair  lines, 
which  are  nearly  the  form  of  lines  of  beauty,  are  made  almost  par- 
allel with  each  other,  and  the  main  shade  stroke  is  nearly  perpen- 
dicular. In  the  case  of  the  one  shown  in  our  cut  at  Fig.  67  we  have 
purposely  made  this  stroke  exactly  perpendicular,  showing  the 
student  that  if  he  aims  to  get  it  perpendicular  he  will  avoid  the  ten- 
dency to  running  the  hair  line  at  the  right  of  the  main  stroke  into 
the  main  stroke  at  the  bottom  of  the  line  or  just  before  reaching  the 
bottom  guide  line.  While  we  here  illustrate  this  stroke  perfectly 
perpendicular,  the  student  while  practicing  should  bear  in  mind  that 
if  it  should  be  or  can  be  on  an  angle  of  five  or  ten  degrees  to  the 
right  it  will  be  more  artistic  than  if  made  perfectly  perpendicular. 

In  forming  the  capital  O it  will  be  seen  that  we  have  changed 
the  style  of  the  O somewhat  from  the  old  style  of  Spencerian  O,  in 
which  case  the  inner  line  at  the  left  was  cut  nearer  parallel  with  the 
outer  one.  In  this  case  we  have  shortened  the  length  of  the  loop 
forming  the  middle  or  right  portion  of  the  letter,  and  have  thrown 
the  highest  point  of  the  letter  over  to  the  right  to  counterbalance 
the  diminishing  of  said  loop. 

Capital  P is  formed  the  same  as  like  portions  of  a capital  B, 
excepting  that  the  loop  at  the  right  of  the  line  of  beauty  crosses  the 
capital  stem.  Even  this  is  not  true  in  some  cases.  Some  artists 
prefer  to  have  the  loop  slightly  curve  around  upward  at  the  right 
of  the  line  of  beauty.  This  is  a matter  that  the  artist  should  decide 
for  himself.  The  point  of  meeting  of  such  loop  and  line  of  beauty 
should  be  nearly  midway  between  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  letter. 

Forming  capital  Q,  the  loop  at  the  top  comes  down  to  the 
middle  guide  line.  The  stroke  at  the  base  of  the  letter  is  cut  over 
where  it  crosses  the  main  stroke  of  the  letter  to  the  end  of  the  loop 
at  the  left,  and  from  the  beginning  of  such  cut  to  the  right  at  the 
end  of  the  loop  at  the  right,  which  terminates  a hair  line.  This 
loop,  in  other  words,  is  cut  the  same  as  the  base  line  of  the  capital  L, 
excepting  that  the  loop  at  the  left  of  the  main  line  is  fuller  than  the 
loop  of  the  L.  It  matters  not  if  this  loop  is  begun  where  the  shade 
commences  to  appear  to  the  right,  making  it  all  one  stroke,  and 
then  finishing  it  up  from  such  beginp.ing  to  the  end  of  the  loop  by 
cutting  in  the  opposite  direction. 

The  student  may  wonder  why  it  is  necessary  to  cut  this  loop  to 
the  left.  He  may  think  that  it  should  be  cut  by  beginning  in  the 
center  of  the  loop  and  cutting  this  stroke  all  the  way  over  to  the 


66 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


right,  but  a trial  will  convince  him  that  the  end  of  the  loop  would 
appear  very  ragged  if  cut  in  this  way.  In  other  words,  we  must 
return  to  our  original  instructions  with  reference  to  forming  loops 
and  the  use  of  the  square  graver,  which  taught  us  that  we  must  cut 
all  curves  to  the  right,  and  if  the  student  will  bear  in  mind  this 
valuable  point  all  through  his  engraving  he  will  find  that  he  will 
never  be  troubled  to  know  in  which  direction  to  cut  a loop. 

The  first  half  of  the  R is  formed  the  same  as  the  B,  and  the 
lower  right  half  of  the  letter  is  formed  the  same  as  the  K. 

The  capital  S is  a difficult  letter  to  cut,  yet  a very  simple  letter 
in  its  formation.  The  loop  at  the  top  protruding  over  to  the  right 
without  any  loop  at  the  base  to  counterbalance  it,  confuses  the 
student  in  designing  or  even  in  cutting  it.  A good  practice  to 
assure  getting  this  line  of  beauty  on  the  correct  angle  is  to  design 
the  loop  on  an  angle  of  about  io°  higher  than  any  other  line  of 
beauty,  which  will  be  sufficient  to  counterbalance  the  optical  illusion 
referred  to. 

The  capital  T is  formed  the  same  as  the  capital  F,  excepting 
that  it  is  not  crossed. 

The  first  main  stroke  of  the  capital  U is  a double  cut,  the  upper 
half  being  cut  upward  and  the  lower  half  downward.  The  loop  at 
the  left  of  this  stroke  is  cut  the  same  as  the  like  loop  in  the  capitals 
R,  P or  B.  The  second  main  stroke  of  the  capital  U is  cut  down- 
ward, and  is  the  same  width  from  beginning  to  end,  and  is  squared 
up  at  the  top  when  necessary. 

The  capital  V is  formed  by  cutting  a small  shaded  line  with  a 
hair  line  at  the  right,  increasing  in  its  distance  from  the  main  stroke 
gradually  as  it  is  engraved  upward.  The  upper  left  portion  of  the 
letter  is  cut  the  same  as  a like  portion  of  the  capital  K. 

The  W is  formed  the  same  as  two  Vs  placed  together,  with  the 
absence  of  the  upper  left  portion  of  the  letter  in  the  case  of  the 
second  V.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  to  make  the  hair  lines 
of  the  W parallel  with  one  another,  the  same  as  the  main  shade 
strokes. 

The  capital  X is  simply  a series  of  loops,  all  of  which  are  cut 
by  curving  to  the  right,  remembering  to  throw  the  graver  out  at 
the  top  and  bottom  of  all  loops. 

The  capital  Y is  made  by  cutting  the  stroke  at  the  left  down  to 
the  center  guide  line.  The  first  main  stroke  of  the  letter,  which  is 
a double  cut,  should  come  down  to  the  lower-case  guide  line,  and 


The  Formation  of  the  Script  Capitals. 


67 


the  line  of  beauty  protrude  up  to  the  top  of  the  capital  letters  or 
slightly  under  said  line. 

Capital  Z is  made  by  forming  the  main  stroke  of  the  letter  a 
hair  line  of  beauty,  the  top  and  bottom  shade  strokes  being  cut  and 
formed  the  same  as  a like  stroke  in  the  capital  L. 

The  correct  & and  all  figures  belonging  to  the  script  alphabet 
are  made  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  capitals. 

The  top  loop  of  the  2 can  be  brought  downward  to  the  center 
of  the  line  midway  between  the  top  and  bottom. 

The  loop  in  the  middle  of  the  3 can  be  formed  directly  above 
the  center  line. 

The  loop  at  the  lower  left  of  the  figure  4 should  be  brought 
down  nearly  to  the  lower-case  guide  line.  The  line  crossing  the 
main  stroke  of  the  4 crosses  it  one-fourth  of  the  distance  from  the 
base  to  the  top  guide  line. 

The  meeting  of  the  first  loop  of  the  5 and  the  hair  line  running 
from  same  to  the  top  is  made  half  way  between  the  top  and  bottom 
of  the  line. 

The  lower  loop  of  the  6 comes  half  way  to  the  top  of  the  fetter. 
The  widest  part  of  the  shade  stroke  should  be  midway  between  the 
top  and  bottom  of  the  figure,  as  shown. 

The  top  of  the  9 should  come  down  to  the  center  guide  line. 
Both  the  right  and  the  left  of  the  figure  o should  be  shaded  equally. 

These  suggestions  as  to  the  correct  formation  of  the  perfectly 
plain  script  alphabet  should  be  followed  accurately  until  the  student 
has  become  familiar  with  the  forms  of  the  letters,  and  with  a little 
practice  he  will  be  able  to  cut  the  letters  on  these  strict  mechanical 
lines  without  any  particular  reference  to  the  rules  here  laid  down. 
In  other  words,  he  will  learn  by  rote  to  make  the  letters  perfectly 
true,  providing  these  strict  rules  are  in  his  mind  when  practicing. 

It  would  not  be  policy  for  the  author  to  even  intimate  that  this 
is  the  exact  and  only  style  of  script  letters.  There  are  a great 
many  styles  of  script  letters  and  a great  many  different  methods  of 
cutting  them,  but  the  style  here  given,  as  before  mentioned,  is  a 
perfectly  plain  one,  and  one  that  is  used  largely  in  the  art  of 
engraving,  and  forms  the  basis  for  a more  elaborate  letter,  which  we 
will  have  occasion  to  describe  later.  If  the  student  will  keep  these 
correct  forms  in  mind,  and  apply  to  these  letters  further  instructions 
in  reference  to  the  formation  of  more  elaborate  letters,  the  formation 
and  cutting  of  the  script  letters  will  not  be  difficult. 


CHAPTER  X. 


LOOPED  SCRIPT. 

We  have  already  learned  the  correct  formation  of  the  plain 
script  letters,  which  is  the  foundation  of  script  letters,  no  matter  of 
what  style  or  how  elaborate.  The  general  construction  of  script 
letters  is  the  same  in  all  the  different  styles  of  forming  and  engraving 
them.  We  will  now  take  up  the  styles  of  looped  script,  and  it  will 
not  be  necessary  for  us  to  enter  into  a detailed  course  of  instruc- 
tion in  reference  to  cutting  the  same,  as  previous  instruction  in 
cutting  loops,  bars,  etc. , will  be  applicable  in  this  style  of  lettering. 
The  angle  of  the  looped  script  can  be  on  the  regular  angle  of  50°, 
perpendicular  or  back  hand,  and  as  the  looped  style  of  script  is  the 
kind  that  forms  the  basis  for  ciphers  or  script  monograms,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  student  who  desires  to  become  skilled  in  cipher 
work  should  thoroughly  master  the  plain  looped  script  letters. 
In  any  fancy  engraving  the  style  of  the  letters  can  be  changed  to 
suit  the  artistic  eye  of  the  engraver  or  artist,  but  we  must  have 
some  rules  to  govern  the  practice  of  the  beginner. 

There  are  a great  many  different  styles  of  fancy  script  letters. 
We  do  not  believe  it  advisable,  from  the  standpoint  of  art  or  busi- 
ness, to  engrave  letters  as  fancy  as  one  can.  On  the  contrary,  we 
advise  a plain,  accurate  foundation  of  the  letter  gracefully  and  artis- 
tically elaborated  by  ornamental  work,  or  by  the  elaborating  of  the 
loops  and  bars  themselves,  but  discretion  must  be  used  in  the  matter 
of  using  loops.  We  often  see  in  text-books  looped  or  fancy  script 
letters  of  a style  that  no  self-respecting  engraver  would  think  of 
using.  This  fact  is  mentioned  by  way  of  warning  the  student  who 
might  be  misled  by  text-books  that  contain  alphabets  that  are  not 
advisable  for  an  engraver  to  adopt.  There  are  a great  many  little 
cuts,  scrolls  and  curves  that  might  be  used  in  connection  with  the 
script  letters  which  will  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  letter,  and  many 
of  us  will  not  agree  possibly  as  to  what  constitutes  the  most  artistic 
of  such  curves,  yet  it  is  our  opinion  that  the  alphabet  which  we  will 
show  will  contain  the  most  simple  and  artistic  of  this  class  of  letters. 
Of  course,  any  improvement  that  a student  can  make,  knowing  that 
he  is  correct,  he  may  make,  bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  the 


68 


Looped  Sc7'ipt.  69 

author  is  here  suggesting  what  he  deems  to  be  the  most  practical 
in  this  style  of  letter. 

At  Fig.  68  we  show  the  first  six  letters  of  the  alphabet  in  the 
style  of  looped  script.  It  will  be  noticed  in  the  first  letter  of  the 
alphabet  that  the  first  loop  of  the  letter  is  on  more  of  an  angle  than 
the  second  loop,  which  is  due  to  the  fact  that  in  the  first  stroke  of 


the  letter  the  line  of  beauty  is,  as  it  should  be,  on  more  of  an  angle 
than  in  the  second  stroke,  which  is  a shade  stroke.  This  is  made 
necessary  as  the  letter  is  pointed  at  the  top,  and  as  the  two  bars 
gradually  increase  in  distance  apart  as  they  near  the  base  line,  and 
it  is  for  this  reason  that  the  second  loop  should  be  on  a less  angle 
than  the  first.  Theoretically,  the  first  loop  should  be  on  an  angle 
with  its  line,  i.  e.,  the  line  of  beauty,  and  the  second  line  should  be 
on  an  angle  with  its  line — the  main  shade  stroke. 

In  the  capital  B the  loop  at  the  top  should  be  shorter  than  in 
the  regular  alphabet  to  allow  for  the  loop  at  the  end  of  the  line  of 
beauty.  The  loop  at  the  top  of  the  line  of  beauty  should  be  very 
delicate  and  very  accurately  made.  The  remaining  portion  of  the 
letter  in  its  general  formation  is  the  same  as  in  the  plain  script 
alphabet. 

It  will  be  seen  in  the  capital  C that  the  general  formation  is  the 
same  as  the  regular  C,  excepting  the  smaller  loop  within  the  loop 
at  the  top,  and  that  the  loop  at  the  base  of  the  line  curves  a little 
more,  thereby  making  it  more  artistic. 

In  the  capital  D the  loop  at  the  bottom  can  be,  but  not  neces- 
sarily, fuller  than  in  the  plain  alphabet,  and  the  loop  at  the  top  can 
curve  around  a little  farther,  and  also  the  line  of  beauty  can  curve 
around  at  the  top  the  same  as  in  the  B. 

The  looped  capital  E is  the  same  as  the  plain  E,  with  the 
exception  of  the  inner  loop  at  the  top,  and  also  the  little  extra  line 
that  curves  around  over  into  the  top  loop,  and  the  lower  loop  curves 
upward  farther  than  in  the  plain  script. 

• In  the  capital  F it  will  be  noticed  that  at  the  top  the  line  of 
beauty  connects  with  the  stroke  crossing  the  top  and  forms  the  loop. 


70 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


and  that  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty  curves  around  and  forms  a 
loop  and  another  loop  within  the  loop,  and  thus  continues  around 
and  crosses  the  line  of  beauty  exactly  in  the  center  and  forms  still 
another  loop. 

Referring  to  Fig.  69  the  first  letter  at  the  left,  the  capital  G* 
differs  in  formation  from  the  plain  letter  only  in  the  loop  within  the 
top  loop,  and  in  the  line  at  the  upper  left  portion  of  the  letter 
curving  over  the  main  shade  stroke  at  the  top  ; also  in  the  loop  at 
the  bottom  of  the  line  of  beauty,  which  differs  from  the  ending  of 
same  in  the  plain  script. 


Capital  H can  be  made  in  a great  many  different  ways.  The 
style  here  shown  is  probably  the  most  common.  The  first  half  of 
the  letter  varies  only  from  the  plain  script  letter  in  the  loop  being 
at  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty,  the  second  half  of  the  letter  forming 
the  loop  terminating  within  itself  at  the  top,  and  having  an  extra 
line  to  cross  the  two  bars. 

There  can  be  no  change  in  the  capital  I with  the  exception  of 
the  loop  at  the  bottom,  and  a slight  continuation  of  the  loop 
forming  the  top  of  the  latter.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
lines  of  beauty  in  this  alphabet  can  be  curved  more  than  in  plain 
script.  This  is  also  true  of  the  capital  J.  The  capital  J,  however, 
in  back  hand  and  perpendicular  script,  and  ciphers,  is  made  exactly 
the  same  as  the  I shown  here. 

The  looped  style  of  K varies  from  the  regular  style  of  script 
only  in  the  loop  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty  and  an  extra  loop 
at  the  top,  and  a slight  continuation  of  the  loop  at  the  bottom. 

The  L is  changed  very  little,  simply  having  a loop  within  the 
loop  at  the  top,  and  the  line  in  the  upper  left  portion  of  the  letter 
continuing  over  the  line  of  beauty  instead  of  stopping  slightly  at 
the  left  of  same. 

Referring  to  Fig.  70  the  first  letter  at  the  left,  capital  M,  is  the 
same  in  general  construction  as  the  plain  M,  with  the  exception  of 
the  loop,  which  in  this  case  should  come  up  to  the  line  drawn  half 


Looped  Script. 


71 


way  between  the  top  and  bottom  guide  lines.  It  will  also  be  noticed 
that  the  top  of  this  letter  curves  a little  more  than  in  the  plain  style 
of  letters. 

The  looped  N has  a loop  at  the  top  and  at  the  bottom,  other- 
wise it  is  generally  constructed  the  same  with  possibly  the  exception 


of  a slight  shade  near  the  top  and  near  the  bottom  of  the  two  hair- 
lines to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  letter  and  fill  in  or  balance  up 
the  loops. 

The  general  character  of  the  capital  O is  such  that  it  is  difficult 
to  make  any  change  in  it.  The  only  change  that  can  be  made 
consistently  is  a continuation  of  the  beginning  and  ending  of  the 
line  forming  it. 

The  capital  P line  of  beauty  continues  around  to  the  right  and 
forms  a very  delicate  loop,  also  the  regular  style  of  a loop  at  the 
end  of  the  line  of  beauty  at  the  bottom  and  a slight  continuation  of 
the  loop  at  the  top. 

There  is  no  change  in  the  style  of  the  O except  a slight 
increase  in  the  loop. 

The  capital  R loop  at  the  top  is  slightly  shorter  than  in  the 
plain  style  and,  with  the  addition  of  the  loop  at  the  bottom  and  top 
of  the  line  of  beauty,  and  a slight  continuation  of  the  loop  in  the 
lower  right  portions  of  the  letter,  it  is  the  same  as  the  plain  style. 

Referring  to  Fig.  71  the  capital  S is  made  the  same  as  the 
plain  style,  with  the  exception  of  the  inner  loop  at  the  top  and  the 


main  loop  at  the  bottom,  and  a slight  curve  in  around  to  the  right 
in  the  line  and  in  the  left  portion  of  the  letter. 

The  T differs  in  its  construction  the  same  as  the  F,  with  the 
exception  of  the  crossing  of  the  latter. 


72 


The  Ari  of  Engraving . 


The  capital  U can  be  changed  by  making  a loop  at  the  top  of 
the  second  main  stroke  of  the  letters,  instead  of  beginning  it  square 
on  top  as  the  top  of  a D or  T. 

The  capital  V simply  has  an  additional  loop  at  the  top  on  the 
right  upper  portion  of  the  letter  and  a slight  increase  in  the  loop  in 
the  left  portion  of  the  letter. 

The  W,  being  practically  the  same  in  general  construction  as 
the  V,  has  only  the  same  changes.  We  would  add,  however,  that 
these  letters  can  be  curved  more  than  in  the  regular  style  of  script. 

There  is  no  radical  change  that  can  be  made  in  the  X,  with  the 
exception  of  elaborating  the  loops  if  possible  and  advisable. 


r 

Fig. 73 

Referring  to  Fig.  72,  the  looped  Y is  made  the  same  as  in  the 
plain  script  alphabet,  excepting  the  loop  at  the  end  of  the  line  of 
beauty. 

There  is  no  change  that  can  be  made  in  the  Z,  except  elabo- 
rating the  loops. 

The  correct  & is  made  the  same  in  general  construction,  with 
the  exception  of  a slight  continuation  of  the  loops. 

At  Fig.  73  you  will  notice  that  the  curves  run  to  the  right  at 
the  bottom,  and  that  the  little  hair  line  forming  the  top  has  a slight 
loop  at  the  end. 

Fig.  73 

In  the  case  of  the  2 the  loop  is  increased  a little  at  the  top  and 
at  the  bottom.  There  is  also  an  extra  loop  at  the  lower  left  portion 
of  the  figure  at  the  bottom. 

In  the  3 there  is  a loop  in  the  center  and  a full  loop  at  the 
bottom  and  at  the  top. 

The  4 is  practically  the  same  with  the  exception  of  the  down 
stroke  curving  around  to  the  right  as  m the  figure  i. 


Looped  Script. 


73 


The  figure  5 has  a loop  in  the  center  and  a loop  at  the  top. 
The  remaining  portion  of  the  figure  is  the  same  as  the  plain  figures. 

Referring  to  Fig.  74,  the  6 is  practically  the  same  as  plain  6, 
except  that  there  is  more  of  a loop 
at  the  top. 

The  7 differs  only  in  its  main 
stroke,  the  same  as  figures  i and  4, 
with  a loop  at  the  top. 

It  is  equally  difficult  to  make 
any  change  in  the  8,  unless  the  lines  are  broken  or  severed  at  the 
top  and  bottom,  as  here  shown,  in  wFich  case  they  can  curve 
around  as  the  case  may  require. 

The  9 simply  has  an  extra  loop  at  the  bottom. 

The  o cannot  be  changed,  as  the  letter,  by  virtue  of  its  shape, 
gives  no  opportunity  for  making  loops. 

FANCY  SCRIPT  WORDS  FROM  LOOPED  SCRIPT. 

In  Fig.  75  we  show  the  style  of  letters  we  have  above  described, 
forming  the  initials  B,  G,  H,  made  back-hand.  The  student 

will  observe  that  it  wall  be  impractical 
to  make  the  plain  script  letters  back- 
hand artistically.  In  Fig.  76  w^e  show' 
the  word  ‘ ‘ Rose  ’ ’ engraved  perpen- 
dicularly, using  the  style  of  capital  R 
we  have  just  described,  it  being  necessary  in  this  case  to  change 
the  loop  at  the  lower  right  portion  of  the 
letter,  allowing  it  to  drop  below'  the  guide 
line  and  gracefully  loop  into  the  base  of 
the  R. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  there  is  no 
change  in  the  lower-case  letters,  with  pos- 
sibly the  exception  that  the  letters  are 
more  the  style  of  the  round-hand  script. 

At  A,  Fig.  77,  w'e  illustrate  the  w'ord  “Roseline,”  the  capital 
of  w^hich  is  formed  from  the  looped  style  of  script.  There  are  many 
pieces  of  silver  that  come  to  the  engraver  to  be  engraved  where 
a word  running  up  on  an  angle,  after  the  manner  of  this  w'ord,  is 
by  far  the  best  form  of  laying  out  the  work.  The  pieces  in  ques- 
tion are  too  numerous  to  mention  here,  but  the  student  will  readily 
observe  where  a w'ord  of  such  a form  can  be  used  to  best  advantage. 


Fig.  75 


0 r/# 

Fig.  74 


74 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


At  B,  Fig.  77,  we  illustrate  the  word  “Florence,’’  running 
down  on  an  angle,  with  a few  scrolls  above  and  below  and  at  the 
end  of  the  word.  Of  course,  the  scrolls  are  not  necessary,  but 
they  very  often  fill  in  the  space  advantageously.  This  style  of 
script  is  what  is  known  as  the  round-hand  style.  The  method  of 


cutting  the  letter  running  down  on  an  angle,  as  here  illustrated,  is 
exactly  the  same  as  for  cutting  the  regular  script,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  squaring  up  the  top  of  the  I,  T,  U,  D,  etc.,  and  the  bottom 
of  the  M,  N,  H and  K,  in  which  case  the  squaring  up  is  done  from 
the  opposite  direction.  In  the  case  of  the  bottom  of  the  N in  the 
word  “ Florence,”  the  graver  would  be  inserted  at  the  lower  right 
corner  of  the  base  of  the  first  down  stroke  of  N,  in  order  to  square 
it  up  ; whereas,  in  case  of  the  regular  script,  it  would  be  placed  at 
the  lower  left  corner. 

At  C we  illustrate  the  word  “ Burmingham,”  the  capital  of 
which  is  formed  after  the  style  of  the  looped  script  and  the  lower- 
case letters  after  the  style  of  the  round-hand  script.  It  will  be 
noticed  here  that  there  is  an  inner  loop  in  the  lower-case  G and  an 
inner  loop  in  the  top  of  the  H,  which  add  to  the  artistic  features  of 
the  letters.  A few  scrolls  placed  above  and  below  the  letter,  as 
here  illustrated,  add  to  the  artistic  elements  of  the  article  to  be 
engraved.  In  showing  these  words,  we  are  very  cautious  to  avoid 
any  ornamental  work  other  than  loops  and  scrolls,  which  we  have 
sufficiently  described  to  make  the  method  of  cutting  them  intelli- 
gible to  the  student.  Many  will  undoubtedly  desire  to  ornament 
the  letters  in  addition  to  ornamenting  above  and  below  the  letters. 
The  ornamenting  of  such  letters  will  be  taken  up  under  the  head 
of  ciphers  or  script  monograms,  and  the  student  who  desires  to 
ornament  the  letters  can  learn  how  to  do  so  under  that  head. 


Looped  Script. 


75 


At  A,  Fig.  78,  we  illustrate  the  figures  “ 1902” 
in  an  appropriate  style  for  the  style  of  letters  illus- 
trated at  Fig.  77,  These  figures  should  be  en- 
graved on  an  angle  of  about  10°  back  from  a ver- 
tical line. 

At  same  figure,  is  illustrated  “ 1900,”  show- 
ing a style  of  drooping  or  running  the  letters  down. 

Figures  engraved  in  this  style  are  very  appropriate  for  the  back  of 
teaspoons  or  small  match  or  stamp  boxes.  The  lines  above  and 
below  the  figures  can  be  added  or  not,  as  the  artist  prefers. 

A B 

Fig.  79 

At  A,  Fig.  79,  we  illustrate  the  vertical  script  of  the  looped 
style  and  at  B the  back-hand  script  of  the  same  style,  showing  the 
student  that  the  looped  style  of  script  is  appropriate  for  either 
vertical  or  back- hand  style. 


■^90^) 


5) 

Fig.  78 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  PRACTICAL  USE  OF  SCRIPT  LETTERS. 

One  of  the  most  troublesome  features  connected  with  the  art 
of  engraving  is  the  danger  of  the  point  of  the  graver  breaking  off. 
If  the  engraver  selects  a tool  of  the  best  quality  and  sharpens  it 
correctly,  he  will  experience  little  difficulty  of  this  kind.  How  to 
obviate  the  point  of  the  graver  breaking  off  is  a question  which 
puzzles  a great  many  beginners  in  the  art  of  engraving.  It  should 
be  stated  in  this  connection  that  the  angle  on  which  the  graver  is 
sharpened  on  the  front  should  be  varied  according  to  the  condition 
of  the  metal  to  be  cut.  If  we  are  cutting  on  very  hard  metal,  such 
as  plated  teaspoons,  the  angle  on  the  front  of  the  graver  should  be 
more  blunt  than  it  would  be  if  we  were  cutting  Britannia  metal. 
Fourteen  karat  gold  will  be  found  of  such  alloy  as  to  make  it  difficult 
to  cut  it  and  not  break  the  point  of  the  graver,  and  this  is  especially 
true  if  the  point  of  the  graver  is  left  rough,  in  the  condition  in 
which  it  comes  from  the  oilstone,  which  is  the  condition  of  the 
graver  when  used  on  a polished  surface. 

The  engraver  should  remember  that  in  cutting  satin  finish, 
Roman  gold  finish,  French  gray  finish,  or  oxidized  silver,  that  he 
should  use  a polished  graver.  In  nearly  all  other  finishes  the 
graver  should  be  left  in  the  condition  in  which  it  comes  from  the 
oilstone,  in  which  condition  it  will  cut  a ragged  line.  The  term 
“ ragged  line,”  as  here  used,  does  not  mean  that  the  extreme  edges 
of  the  letter  will  be  rough  or  irregular,  but  the  incision  will  appear 
to  be  composed  of  a series  of  fine  lines,  due  to  the  condition  of  the 
cutting  edge  of  the  graver,  which  has  been  thoroughly  described  in 
instructing  the  student  how  .to  grind  and  polish  a graver.  It  will 
be  found  more  difficult  to  cut  with  the  graver  in  this  condition 
possibly  than  it  would  if  it  were  polished  a very  little.  If  the  oil- 
stone, which  the  engraver  uses,  is  a very  coarse  one,  then  it  would 
be  necessary  to  polish  the  graver  a very  little  in  order  to  reduce 
the  roughness  to  a minimum,  but  not  enough  to  make  it  cut  bright. 
If  in  cutting  with  a rough  graver  it  is  found  that  it  grinds  and 
grates  as  it  is  pushed  forward,  and  the  operator’  is  sure  that  the 
angles  are  exactly  flat,  he  will  be  able  to  wield  the  graver  easier  if 


76 


The  Practical  Use  of  Script  Letters. 


77 


Fig.  80 


he  lubricates  it  with  saliva  by  putting  the  point  of  the  graver  between 
his  lips  at  each  insertion.  This  is  a bad  habit  to  form  and  should 
be  resorted  to  only  in  cases  where  it  is  necessary. 

At  Fig.  8o  we  illustrate  four  hearts,  showing  the  different  wa)^s 

in  which  initials,  names  and 
figures  can  be  engraved.  Of 
course,  it  would  be  practical, 
and  possibly  easier,  to  en- 
grave the  letters  straight 
across  or  straight  up  on  an 
angle.  It  will  be  seen  that 
a few  little  scrolls  above  or 
below  the  letters  will  add  to 
the  artistic  effect. 

At  Fig.  8 1 we  illustrate  a locket  with  the  word  “Laura” 
engraved  thereon,  showing  how  the  looped  style  of  script,  with  a 
little  ornamental  work  above  and  below  a word, 
adds  to  its  beauty.  It  is  not  more  difficult  to  en- 
grave a word  in  this  way  than  it  would  be  to  engrave 
it  perfectly  plain,  and  the  artistic  effect  gained  by 
doing  it  in  this  way  is  such  that  it  is  advisable  for 
the  student  to  make  the  attempt. 

At  Fig.  82  w'e  illustrate  two  different  styles  of 
engraving  teaspoon  handles.  At  A we  illustrate  the 
word  “Ethelind,”  designed  ready  for  engraving, 
difficult  feature  in  designing  a word  on  a spoon  handle  is  to  sketch 

it  so  that  the  general  effect  of  the 
word  will  be  in  the  center  of  the  space 
allotted  to  the  word.  This  is  accom- 
plished in  designing  a spoon  handle, 
as  here  illustrated,  by  first  drawing 
a line  from  the  center  of  the  end  of 
the  handle  to  the  center  of  a point 
on  the  handle  just  at  the  right  of  the 
beginning  of  the  word.  The  central 
point  at  the  end  of  the  handle  en- 
graved ‘ ‘ Ethelind  ’ ’ show^s  where 
such  a line  may  begin.  Now,  as  to 
whether  or  not  this  line  should  come 
exactly  at  the  top  of  the  lower-case 


Fig.  81 


The  most 


7S 


The  Art  of  Engravmg . 


letters  or  slightly  below  depends  altogether  upon  the  number  of 
letters  coming  above  the  lower-case  guide  line. 

In  the  case  of  the  word  in  question  we  have  five  letters  coming 
above  the  lower-case  guide  line.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that 
this  center  guide  line  should  be  the  top  guide  line  of  the  lower-case 
letters.  While,  on  the  other  hand,  if  we  had  some  letters  coming 
above  the  line  and  some  letters  coming  below  the  line,  these  condi- 
tions would  be  changed  to  such  an  extent  that  it  would  be  necessary 
for  the  center  line  to  pass  through  the  top  of  the  letters  about  one- 
fourth  the  distance  down  from  the  top  of  the  lower- 
case guide  line.  A beautifully  engraved  word  on  a 
spoon  or  fork  handle  not  properly  placed,  is  more 
irritating  to  an  artistic  eye  than  one  properly  located 
of  the  right  size  if  not  so  well  engraved.  There- 
fore, the  student  is  especially  cautioned  in  regard  to 
this,  and  advised  to  practice  this  particular  point 
diligently.  There  are  too  many  ways  of  using  script 
letters  to  illustrate  all.  We  therefore  present  for 
the  consideration  of  the  student  only  a few,  which 
will  suffice  to  give  him  an  idea  of  how  the  work 
should  be  accomplished. 

At  Fig.  83  we  illustrate  an  ornamental  handle  of  a spoon  or 
fork  with  initials  B.  C.  S.  designed  thereon,  showing  how  the 
letters  could  be  designed  in  such  a space.  The  student  should 
endeavor  to  so  educate  his  eye  as  to  arrange  the  style  of  letters  and 
shape  of  same  to  as  far  as  possible  correspond  with  the  style  of  the 
article  to  be  engraved. 

At  Fig.  84  we  illustrate  a match  box,  showing 
how  it  can  be  engraved  in  plain  script  on  a straight 
line,  yet  on  an  angle,  diagonally  across  the  box, 
which  is  far  better  than  engraving  it  straight  across 
or  perpendicularly.  The  location  of  the  date  is  also 
preferable  to  having  it  directly  under  the  name,  un- 
less the  customer  should  request  otherwise. 

At  Fig,  85  we  illustrate  a pin  tray  with  the  word 
“Florence”  engraved  thereon.  In  a case  of  this  kind  the 
engraver  must  first  find  the  center  of  rhe  dish  and  then  the  same 
instructions  apply  as  in  the  case  of  a spoon  handle,  shown  at 
Fig.  82.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  a case  of  this  kind  in 
reference  to  the  size  of  the  letters.  If  the  letters  are  engraved  too 


Fig.  84 


Fig.  83 


The  Practical  Use  of  Script  Letters. 


79 


large  and  are  not  appropriately  shaded  for  the  size,  or  too  small 
and  too  heavily  shaded,  they  will  look  wrong.  The  student 
should  carefully  study  a design  after  he  has  placed  it  on  the  article 
and  see  if  it  is  the  right  size.  Very  often  students  will  first  sketch 
the  design  on  the  article  and  then  study  only  the  accuracy  of  the 
letters.  As  previously  stated,  while  the  accuracy  of  the  letters  is 

the  principal  point,  yet  we  must 
give  due  consideration  to  the  size 
and  proportion  of  the  letters  and 
the  relation  of  the  same  to  the 
space  alloted  to  the  word. 

At  Fig.  86  we  illustrate  a few 
scrolls,  which  can  be  used  to  ad- 
vantage with  script  words  and 
initials  in  engraving  ornamental 
script.  As  has  been  previously  mentioned,  the  author  is  not 

in  favor  of  engraving  words  or  initials  very  fancy.  Simplicity 

and  accuracy  should  be 
the  aim  of  all  artists 
in  engraving.  Great 
care  should  be  exer- 

cised to  avoid  so  elabo- 
rating the  letters  or 
elaborating  the  space 
around  the  letters  as 

to  detract  the  atten- 
tion from  the  word  or 
initials,  bearing  in  mind 
at  all  times  that  the 
initial  or  word  should 
stand  out  boldly  and 
that  w'hatever  orna- 
mental work  is  done 
should  be  executed  so 
delicately,  that  it  will 
appear  to  be  in  the 

background.  Fig.  86 


CHAPTER  XII. 


ENGRAVING  COFFIN  PLATES  IN  SCRIPT. 

Engraving  coffin  plates  in  script  is  one  of  the  puzzling  features 
of  the  art  of  engraving  for  a beginner.  Students  in  the  art  will 
sometimes  see  an  engraver  engrave  a coffin  plate  in  very  heavy 
script,  or  see  a plate  that  has  been  engraved  in  very  heavy  script, 
and  wonder  how  the  artist  succeeded  in  cutting  such  heavy  strokes. 
We  would  say  that  this  work  is  done  with  a flat-faced  graver,  ground 
as  has  been  described.  All  the  shade  strokes  are  cut  with  a flat 
graver.  The  object  of  using  the  flat  graver  for  such  heavy  shade 
strokes  is  that  the  angle  on  the  front  of  the  graver  is  at  right 
angles  to  the  blade,  which  enables  the  operator  to  cut  a wide  stroke 
with  less  depth  than  he  would  be  able  to  with  a square  graver, 
because,  in  the  latter  case  the  square  graver  front  is  ground  back 
on  an  angle,  thereby  making  it  necessary  to  turn  the  graver  over 
to  the  right  farther  to  make  a shade  than  in  the  case  of  the  flat-face 
graver.  Some  engravers  cannot  use  a flat-faced  graver  for  cutting 
the  hair  lines.  For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  troubled  in  this 
way,  we  would  state  that  there  would  be  no  objection  to  their 
using  the  square  graver  for  the  hair  lines.  Cutting  bright  cut  on 
the  metals  of  which  coffin  plates  are  made  is  usually  difficult, 
unless  one  knows  the  secret,  if  it  is  a secret.  The  method  of 
polishing  the  graver  for  any  bright  cutting  is  the  same.  In  cutting 
bright  cut  on  Britannia  metal,  after  the  graver  has  been  carefully 
polished  it  should  be  lubricated  by  wetting  it  between  the  lips  at  each 
insertion,  which  will  be  sufficient  to  cause  the  graver  to  cut  bright 
cut,  while,  if  such  lubricating  were  not  resorted  to,  it  matters  not 
how  well  the  graver  might  be  polished,  it  would  not  cut  bright,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  metal  is  so  soft  that  the  molecules  will  pull 
apart  and  adhere  to  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver.  This  method 
of  lubricating  is  sufficient  to  produce  the  effect  and  is  the  most 
expeditious.  It  is,  therefore,  recommended  instead  of  dipping  the 
point  of  the  graver  in  turpentine  or  any  other  lubricant. 

In  laying  out  the  work  on  coffin  plates,  the  designing  wax  or 
transfer  wax,  previously  mentioned,  is  used  by  pressing  the  finger 
on  the  wax  and  then  transferring  it  from  the  finger  to  the  plate. 


80 


Engraving  Coffin  Plates  in  Script.  8i 

which  will  deaden  the  surface  of  the  coffin  plate  so  that  a mark 
with  a hard-rubber  marker  or  even  a piece  of  pegwood  properly 
sharpened  will  show  very  plainly.  This  is  the  most  expeditious 
manner  of  sketching  letters  on  a polished  plate.  Some,  however, 
use  Chinese  white  or  gamboge  and  design  it  with  a soft  pencil. 
This  method  requires  more  time  in  preparation  and  the  results  are 
more  hazardous  to  the  polished  surface  than  by  using  wax  and 
being  cautious  in  reference  to  scratching  the  plate  by  roughly 
handling  it.  There  will  be  little  trouble  experienced  in  scratching 
a plate,  providing  the  engraver  uses  all  the  piecautions  necessary, 
the  principal  one  being,  in  sketching  through  transfer  wax,  to  see 
that  the  thumb  nail  of  the  right  hand,  which  answers  as  a fulcrum 
or  a guide  for  the  graver,  is  reasonably  short  and  also  that  the  end 
of  the  thumb  is  free  from  any  grit  or  dirt  that  would  scratch  a 
highly-polished  surface.  The  thumb  acting  as  a guide,  is  the  one 
part  of  the  hand  that  comes  in  contact  with  the  surface  of  the 
plate,  and  if  that  member  is  free  from  grit  and  the  nail  is  short 
enough  not  to  come  in  contact  with  the  plate,  we  are  quite*  sure  to 
avoid  scratching  the  same.  , 

As  to  the  style  of  rule  to  use  for  guide  lines,  a celluloid  rule 
6"  or  8"  long  is  best.  Celluloid  can  be  purchased  at  drug  stores 
in  strips  of  any  desired  length,  and  can  be  cut  as  wanted.  The 
advantage  of  a celluloid  rule  is  that  it  is  flexible  and  can  be  bent  to 
correspond  with  the  surface  of  the  plate.  This  rule  is  also  useful 
in  designing  on  a child’s  drinking  cup  or  any  round  surface  like  a 
napkin  ring.  Of  course,  the  rule  for  these  small  pieces  would 
necessarily  have  to  be  smaller,  but  the  flexibility  of  the  rule  makes 
it  valuable  for  such  work  and  the  engraver  should  supply  himself 
with  several  different  lengths  and  widths. 

The  style  of  engraving  coffin  plates  in  script  used  by  a great 
many  undertakers  is  to  engra\^e  the  date  of  birth  above  the  nam.e 
and  the  date  of  death  below.  In  this  case  both  dates  should  be 
the  same  height  and  style.  A rapid  means  of  sketching  such  a 
date  and  avoiding  the  necessity  of  making  guide  lines,  but  with  a 
guide  to  make  sure  it  is  in  the  center  of  the  plate,  is  to  use  a cellu- 
loid rule,  previously  described,  with  a hole  cut  in  the  center  of  it, 
as  shown  at  Fig.  87.  If  the  rule  should  be  exactly  the  same 
length  as  the  coffin  plate,  then  the  ends  of  the  rule  should  be  even 
with  the  ends  of  the  coffin  plate.  If  the  plate  is  a little  longer, 
the  rule  should  by  an  equal  amount  fall  short  of  coming  to  the 


82 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


end  of  the  plate  on  each  side.  Or  if  the  plate  is  shorter  than  the 
rule  the  opposite  principle  should  apply.  In  each  case  we  would 
be  sure  that  the  little  hole  cut  in  the  center  would  be  in  the  center 
of  the  plate.  Now,  the  figures  are  sketched  in  this  hole  on  to  the 
plate,  using  the  top  and  bottom  of  said  hole  for  guide  lines,  which 

will  insure  great  accu- 
racy as  to  each  letter 
and  the  date  at  the  top 
and  at  the  bottom. 
After  the  student  has 
practiced  coffin-plate  engraving  to  some  extent,  he  will  find  that  he 
can,  by  placing  this  celluloid  rule  on  the  plate  so  that  the  top  of  it 
would  suffice  for  the  lower-case  guide  line  of  the  script,  sketch  the 
line  without  the  aid  of  the  top  guide  lines,  and  with  sufficient  accu- 
racy. Of  course,  it  would  be  impossible  to  add  the  loop  at  the 
bottom  of  the  lower-case  guide  line,  such  as  is  necessary  for  a G or 
a Y,  but  the  top  of  the  letter  could  be  made  and  then  when  the  rule 
is  lifted  Irom  the  plate  such  loops  could  be  added.  In  sketching  in 
this  way  the  writer  has  found  it  advantageous  to  dispense  with  the 
designing  wax,  using  simply  the  steel-pointed  stylus  and  scratching 
on  the  shade  strokes  only.  Of  course,  great  care  must  be  observed 
in  forming  the  letters,  as  when  once  sketched  on,  the  cutting  must 
be  such  as  to  cut  said  scratches  entirely  out,  but  they  are  sketched 
on  very  delicately,  not  the  full  width  of  the  stroke,  but  nearly  so, 
in  order  that  if  a slight  variation  should  be  made  it  could  be  cor- 
rected. We  wouldn’t  recommend  this  method  of  designing  to  a 
beginner.  He  can  look  forward  to  it  after  he  has  become  suffi- 
ciently skilled  in  designing. 

A great  many  beginners  experience  some  difficulty  in  spacing 
their  words  so  as  to  make  them  begin  and  end  an  equal  distance 
from  the  right  and  the  left  ends  of  the  plate.  In  other  words,  they 
find  it  difficult  to  begin  the  first  letter  of  a word  so  that  they  will 
have  ample  room  and  not  too  much  for  the  last  letter.  This  can  be 
obviated  by  spacing  before  the  letters  are  sketched  on.  By  spacing, 
as  here  referred  to,  we  mean  making  little  dots  with  the  stylus  on 
the  plate,  leaving  a space  between  each  two  dots  for  the  letter  or 
the  space  between  words,  and  going  across  the  lower-case  guide 
line  in  this  way  spelling  the  word  out,  and  then  if  the  last  letter 
comes  at  the  right  point  this  spacing  can  be  used,  but  if  it  should  be 
found  to  run  short,  allowance  can  be  made  in  the  sketching  to  make 


Fig.  87 


Eyigraving  Coffin  Plates  in  Script 


83 


the  lines  far  enough  apart  or  larger  so  as  to  take  up  the  space  left 
short.  Or  if  the  word  should  be  found  to  run  over,  the  letters 
should  be  set  closer  together  or  made  smaller.  A little  experience 
in  spacing  in  this  way  will  enable  the  student  to  space  in  a short 
time  without  the  aid  of  such  preparatory  exercises.  The  engraver 
should  be  sufficiently  skilled  in  this  class  of  work  to  space  by 
words.  By  making  three  dots  on  the  plate  he  would  not  vary 
much  from  the  space  allotted  to  each  word.  While  to  the  beginner 
it  might  seem  difficult  to  space  by  words,  yet  the  experienced 
engraver  knows  that  it  can  be  done  with  great  accuracy,  and  in 
practice  must  be  done  in  order  to  accomplish  the  amount  of  work 
in  one  day  that  the  engraver  is  expected  to  do. 

Some  engravers  prefer  to  make  their  script  on  coffin  plates  in 
scroll  shape.  A rapid  method  of  doing  this  is  to  make  of  celluloid 
a rule,  as  shown  at  Fig.  88,  with  a hole  cut  through  the  center  of 


Fig.  88 

it  in  scroll  shape,  as  here  illustrated.  In  this  case  it  would  be 
necessary  to  dispense  with  the  guide  line  for  the  top  of  the  lower- 
case letters,  having  simply  the  top  guide  line  of  the  capitals,  and  the 
base  guide  line  which,  as  previously  stated,  would  be  sufficient 
to  one  with  some  experience.  By  using  this  scroll,  most  coffin 
plates  being  nearly  the  same  size,  it  would  be  found  possible  to  do 
the  work  with  greater  accuracy  and  rapidity  than  if  one  should 
attempt  to  make  the  scroll  on  each  plate  from  the  original  sketch. 
Of  course,  if  this  scroll  should  be  a little  too  long,  it  would  not 
matter,  as  the  first  part  of  the  name  could  begin  at  the  right  of  the 
hole  in  the  celluloid  rule  and  end  at  the  left  of  it.  Any  different 
forms,  like  crescent  shapes  or  ovals,  that  the  engraver  might  deem 
advisable  to  use,  could  be  arranged  in  this  way.  However,  the 
names  in  script  should  either  be  straight  or  on  a slight  cur\'e  or 
scroll  shape  as  here  mentioned. 

After  a plate  has  been  engraved,  either  by  scratching  the  name 
on  as  above  described,  or  by  the  use  of  the  wax  or  even  the  Chinese 
white,  and  after  washing  the  same  off  with  a brush,  water  and  soap, 


84 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


it  is  dried  by  patting  it  with  a towel,  not  rubbing.  After  being 
thoroughly  dried  with  a soft  towel  in  this  way,  any  scratches  that 
may  appear  on  the  surface  can  be  obliterated  quickly,  and  the 
original  polish  restored  to  the  plate  by  the  use  of  a pad,  illustrated 
at  Fig.  89,  which  is  made  of  cotton  flannel  with  the  flannel  side  out, 

being  filled  with  cotton  or  any  other  soft 
material.  It  is  held  in  the  hand  by 
taking  hold  of  the  top  where  it  is  tied 
together  and  rubbed  vigorously  across  the 
surface  of  the  plate,  rouge  having  pre- 
viously been  applied  to  the  under  side. 
The  rubbing  should  all  be  done  length- 
wise of  the  plate,  and  the  amount  of  pressure  downward  on  the  pad 
should  be  uniform,  as  the  slightest  variation  of  the  pressure  would 
change  the  appearance  of  the  polish,  in  other  words,  would  make  it 
appear  wavy.  Of  course,  those  who  have  access  to  high-speed 
lathes  could  use  the  lathe  for  this  purpose,  but  the  ordinary  foot 
lathe  we  do  not  consider  as  practical  as  the  hand  buff,  as  the  operator 
finds  it  almost  impossible  to  hold  the  plate  against  the  buff  with  the 
hand  and  operate  the  speed  by  foot  power  and  maintain  equal 
pressure  under  the  plate,  which  is  necessary  in  order  to  secure  a 
high  polish,  especially  on  soft  metal. 


TURNTABLE  FOR  HOLDING  COFFIN  PLATES,  TRAVS,  ETC. 

A coffin  plate,  owing  to  it  being  irregular,  hollow  on  the  back 
and  thin,  is  difficult  to  hold  on  a regular  sand-bag  pad.  A very 
useful  device  for  engraving  coffin  plates,  shown  at  Fig.  90,  is  a 
table  about  6"  in  diameter  on  the 
top,  and  a base  of  suitable  size 
with  a screw  passing  down  through 
the  center  of  the  top  to  the  base 
to  hold  them  together.  The  top 
of  the  table  being  perfectly  flat  is 
covered  with  a piece  of  chamois.  The  object  of  using  the  chamois 
is  to  make  it  soft  for  pieces  of  silver  other  than  coffin  plates,  and  in 
the  case  of  coffin  plates  to  cause  sufficient  friction  to  hold  the  plate 
firmly  in  place.  The  turning  of  the  article  in  hand  quickly  is  one 
of  the  necessities  in  order  to  do  work  with  rapidity.  If  a coffin 
plate  is  held  on  an  ordinary  pad  (as  a trial  will  prove),  it  will  be 
difficult  to  turn  the  plate  around  in  making  loops  and  curvatures,  also 


Fig.  90 


Engraving  Coffin  Plates  in  Script. 


85 


to  reverse  the  plate  when  necessary  to  cut  the  up  and  down  strokes. 
A cross  section  of  another  style  of  turntable,  very  useful  for  a 
great  many  pieces  of  silver,  is  shown  at  Fig.  91.  This  turntable 
should  be  made  with  brass  bear- 
ings, as  the  articles  used  on  it 
would  be  of  such  weight  that  a 
wood-bearing  table  would  hardly 
be  of  sufficient  durability.  The 
top  of  the  turntable  is  grooved 
out,  as  shown  at  Fig.  91,  to  re- 
ceive a ring  pad,  such  as  is  fur- 
nished with  some  blocks.  Then 
the  pad  is  placed  into  these  grooves 
which  hold  it  firmly  in  place,  and  then  with  a chamois  laid  over 
the  top  of  it,  such  articles  as  a water  pitcher,  ice  or  cream  pitcher, 
or  any  large  piece  of  silver  can  be  placed  thereon  and  held  very 
firmly,  even  though  they  are  rounding  in  form.  The  chamois  will 
also  prevent  the  piece  from  being  scratched,  while  if  it  was  held  on 
the  regular  pad,  even  though  it  was  covered  with  the  chamois  or 
any  soft  material,  the  pressure  downward  necessary  to  do  the 
cutting  would,  when  it  was  turned,  mar  or  scratch  the  highly- 
polished  surface  to  some  extent.  When  the  turntable,  as  shown  at 
Fig.  91,  is  used,  the  article  being  engraved  does  not  turn  separately, 
as  the  top  of  the  turntable  turns  with  it,  there  being  sufficient  fric- 
tion between  the  article  and  the  top  of  the  table  to  cause  the  latter 
to  revolve  on  its  bearings. 


CHAPTER  Xm. 


ENGRAVING  ON  THIMBLES  AND  INSIDE  OF  RINGS. 

Thimbles  are  difficult  things  for  a beginner  to  engrave,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  they  are  small  and  round,  and  the  surface  upon 
which  the  engraving  is  being  cut  is  oval.  Thimbles  are  not  only 
hard  to  hold  in  the  hand,  but  hard  to  hold  the  graver  into  on 
account  of  the  oval  surfaces.  If  the  engraver  will  hold  the  thimble 
on  the  pad  when  cutting  the  down  strokes  by  sliding  it  over  the 
end  of  his  index  finger  of  the  left  hand,  he  will  find  he  can  hold  it 
very  securely.  Then,  of  course,  the  thumb  and  second  finger  are 
held  against  the  sides.  When  cutting  the  up  strokes,  the  hold  is 
reversed,  the  thimble  being  held  between  the  index  finger  and  thumb 
of  the  left  hand,  pressing  it  down  well  on  the  sandbag  pad,  the 
friction  of  which  is  sufficient  to  hold  it  without  sliding. 

ENGRAVING  INSIDE  OF  RINGS. 

Of  all  work  that  comes  to  the  engraver  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
engraving  inside  of  rings  is  considered  the  most  difficult.  Especially 
is  this  class  of  work  uninteresting  to  the  beginner  in  the  art.  It  is 
a kind  of  work  that  must  be  plain  in  all  cases,  and  for  this  reason  it 
has  not  the  fascination  that  other  kinds  of  engraving  have,  and  it 
is  consequently  neglected  by  the  average  engraver.  Engraving 
inside  of  rings  is  not  a difficult  or  unpleasant  work,  however,  if  we 
have  the  correct  tool,  properly  sharpened,  and  go  about 
the  work  in  a proper  way.  The  author  has  found  best 
the  square  graver  sharpened  as  shown  at  Fig.  92,  where 
A represents  the  original  square  graver  and  B represents 
it  after  it  has  been  ground  off.  It  will  be  seen  here  that 
the  graver  is  rounding  on  top  and  on  the  sides,  and  on 
the  under  side  nearly  up  to  the  point,  from  which  point 
to  the  extreme  point  the  cutting  angles  are  at  right 
angles  with  one  another,  making  that  portion  of  the 
graver  equivalent  to  the  square  graver.  The  object  of  grinding  a 
graver  off  and  in  this  shape  is,  that  when  the  graver  is  thrown  out, 
or  when  it  is  curved  around  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  to  complete  a 


^.1  ^ 

) 

\ / ^ 

A B 


Fig.  93 


86 


Engravhig  on  Thimbles  and  Inside  of  Rings. 


S7 


loop,  coming  in  contact  with  the  edge  of  the  ring  will  not  mar  it  ; 
and  also  so  that  it  can  get  just  as  much  nearer  the  completion  of  a 
loop  in  making  the  curve  to  the  right  or  the  left  as  the  amount  we 
have  cut  off  from  the  sides.  This  is  easily  understood,  as  we  are 
just  so  much  nearer  the  point  of  the  graver.  A graver  ground  in 
this  shape  can  be  used  inside  the  average  w'idth  of  oval  wedding 
rings  to  make  any  loop  or  even  to  cross  a T or  make  the  bottom 
of  an  L,  yet  some  engravers  use  a graver  which  is  bent 
around  to  the  right.  We  believe,  however,  the  use  of  such  a graver 
is  not  necessary,  but  may  be  found  useful  to  those  who  do  not  do 
enough  ring  engraving  to  become  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  graver. 

Students  in  the  art  of  engraving  often  practice  inside-of-ring 
w^ork  by  placing  the  ring  in  a holder,  wTich  is  furnished  wath  some 
makes  of  engraving  blocks.  We  would  advise  beginners  in  the  art 
to  dispense  with  all  such  devices  as  they  are  not  practical  for  reasons 
too  numerous  to  mention  here.  You  will  find  very  few%  if  any, 
good  engravers  holding  a ring  in  any  other  way  than  in  their  hand 
and  on  the  sandbag  pad  when  cutting  it. 

At  Fig.  93  we  illustrate  the  pad  A,  graver  B,  ring  C and  block 

D.  The  little  block  shown  at  D,  a side  view  of  w'hich  is  shown  at 

E,  is  made  of  soft  w'ood  about  i"  long,  and  other  proportions 
accordingly,  with  a lit- 
tle groove  cut  in  it  as 
illustrated,  through 
which  one  can  see  w hen 
engraving.  The  arrow 
shown  at  Fig.  93  is 
pointing  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  one  would 
look  when  engraving  inside  a ring  with  the  aid  of  this  block.  The 
little  block  of  wood  is  so  near  the  size  of  the  ring  that  the  thumb 
and  finger  pressing  dowm  against  the  edge  of  it  will  also  strike 
against  the  ring.  The  object  of  using  this  little  block  is  to  hold  the 
ring  more  securely  by  increasing  the  amount  of  friction  on  the  pad 
W'hich  adds  to  the  stability  of  the  ring  during  the  operation.  The 
graver  is  showm  at  B wTich,  of  course,  wmrks  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion from  the  point  of  vision,  as  illustrated  by  the  arrow.  A little 
block  of  this  description  wall  suffice  for  holding  any  size  ring,  and  a 
great  many  engravers  find  it  very  helpful  to  them,  but  we  believe  that 
wn'th  a little  practice  little  or  no  trouble  wall  be  experienced  in  cutting 


88 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


the  ring  directly  on  the  pad,  holding  it  between  the  thumb  and 
index  finger  of  the  left  hand. 

The  style  of  lettering  used  inside  of  rings  is  usually  script  and 
perfectly  plain.  The  engraver  will  find  it  easier  to  engrave  script 
more  nearly  perpendicular  than  the  regular  angle  of  script  inside  of 
rings.  By  making  the  letters  more  nearly  perpendicular  by  possibly 
io°,  the  difference  would  not  be  noticed  and  the  appearance  would 
be  better  than  if  the  letters  were  made  on  the  regular  angle  of  50"^, 
because  the  curve  of  the  ring  inside  makes  the  letters  appear  to  be 
on  more  of  an  angle  than  they  really  are,  and  if  it  was  a very  small 
ring  a letter  might  begin  on  the  downward  slope  at  the  left  and  end 
on  the  upward  curve  at  the  right,  and  in  this  way  would  have  a 
rolling  or  curved  appearance,  which  would  be  very  detrimental  to 
its  artistic  appearance.  Students  should  try  both  angles,  the  regular 
angle  and  an  angle  of  60°,  and  they  will  readily  observe  that  the 
more  perpendicular  style  of  script  is,  by  far,'  better  in  appearance 
than  the  regular. 

Just  how  to  arrange  a word  or  words  inside  of  rings  is  not  an 
er.sy  matter  to  determine  for  a beginner.  In  our  description  of 
how  to  correctly  form  script  letters  we  said  that  the  lower-case 
script  letters  should  be  about  one-third  the  height  of  capitals,  and 
also  that  there  were  cases  where  a variation  from  these  mechanical 
forms  would  be  made  necessary  by  virtue  of  the  shape  or  size  of 
the  article  to  be  engraved.  We  have  now  arrived  at  a class  of  work 
where  such  variations  are  necessary.  In  engraving  inside  of  a 
ring,  and  especially  in  a narrow  oval  ring,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
lower-case  letters  should  be  half  the  height  of  the  capitals.  This 
is  because  capitals  engraved  to  nearly  fill  the  ring  crosswise  would 
be  almost  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  if  we  should  reduce 
the  lower-case  letters  to  one-third  the  height,  the  lettering  would 
be  of  no  value  without  the  aid  of  a glass  and  would  be  so  small 
that  it  could  be  engraved  only  by  the  most  skilled  artist  and  would 
of  necessity  be  nearer  the  bottom  than  the  top  of  the  ring,  which 
would  not  look  correct.  We,  therefore,  find  that  it  is  necessary 
to  engrave  the  lower-case  letters  half  or,  in  some  cases,  more  than 
half  the  height  of  the  capitals,  and  that  the  angle  of  the  letters 
should  be  about  60°,  and  that  the  letters  should  be  so  designed 
that  the  general  effect  will  appear  to  be  in  the  center  of  the 
ring,  as  shown  at  Fig.  94,  where  we  show  a section  of  an 
interior  of  a narrow  oval  ring  with  the  words  engraved 


Eiigravhig  on  Thimbles  and  Inside  of  Rings. 


80 


thereon,  “ Sadie  to  Rose.  ” It  will  be  seen  that  the  capitals  are 
about  an  equal  distance  from  the  top  and  bottom,  possibly  a 
little  closer  to  the  top,  and  that 
the  lower-case  letters  are  a little 
closer  to  the  bottom  than  the 
top,  and  the  difference  between 
the  distances  to  the  top  of  the  capital,  to  the  top  of  the  lower-case 
letters  and  to  the  top  of  the  ring  is  such  as  to  equalize  and  make  the 
words  appear  to  be  in  the  center  of  the  ring.  There  are  no  set 
rules  by  which  we  can  go  ahead  in  this  work  other  than  the  way 
just  described.  We  cannot  commend  drawing  a line  from  the 
center  of  the  ring  and  using  the  center  line  so  drawn  as  a guide  line 
to  the  lower-case  letters,  as  the  width  of  the  ring  would  change  su-ch 
a rule.  There  are  some  widths  where  the  method  would  apply,  but 
it  is  not  safe  to  advise  a student  to  adopt  it  as  a guide  to  follow  in 
all  classes  of  work,  but  if  he  will  place  the  capitals,  as  above 
described,  a little  closer  to  the  top  than  the  bottom,  he  will  find 
then  that  the  lower-case  letters  are  farther  from  the  top  than  the 
bottom,  and  that  the  spaces  thus  varied  will  be  sufficient  to  equalize 
one  another  and  cause  the  letters  to  appear  to  be  in  the  center  of 
the  ring.  We  have  devoted  more  attention  to  this  subject  than  at 
first  thought  seems  necessary,  but  it  is  a class  of  work  that  is  some- 
what neglected,  and  yet  even  a jeweler  in  a small  city  has  much  of 
it  to  do.  Old  English,  Roman  or  block  letters  are  so  seldom  cut 
inside  of  rings  that  instruction  in  reference  to  them  is  here 
deemed  inexpedient.  It  would,  indeed,  be  little  more  than  a 
waste  of  time  and  space. 

CARE  OF  GRAVERS. 

The  manner  in  which  some  engravers,  especially  those  who  do 
both  engraving  and  watch  work,  care  for  their  gravers  does  not 
reflect  much  credit  upon  their  care  of  tools.  We  often  find  gravers 
in  jewelry  stores  that  are  thrown  promiscuously  in  the  drawers  of  a 
watchmaker’s  bench,  one  on  top  of  another,  the  end  of  the  gravers 
coming  together,  etc.  After  a graver  has  been  put  in  order  it 
should  be  kept  in  that  condition,  and  if  it  is  not  convenient  to  lay 
it  in  a drawer  in  such  a manner  that  it  will  not  come  in  contact 
with  any  other  graver,  especially  the  point,  the  gravers  can  be 
placed  on  the  top  of  the  bench  by  making  a little  holder  for  them 
composed  of  two  pieces  of  wood  and  a nail  or  a screw.  Such  a 


CO 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


holder  is  shown  at  Fig.  95.  There  can  be  two 
rows  of  holes  drilled  in  the  top  of  the  holder, 
which  revolves  on  a base,  the  two  pieces 
being  held  together  by  means  of  a screw  or 
nail,  with  as  many  holes  in  the  top  as  is  neces- 
sary. Usually,  about  fifteen  or  eighteen  gravers 
can  be  held  in  a fair-sized  holder.  The  gravers 
are  stuck  down  into  the  top  of  the  holder,  which 
should  be  about  thick.  When  an  engraver 
has  finished  using  a tool  it  is  very  easy  to  put  it 
back  in  its  place,  and  then  he  will  be  sure  it 
will  be  in  the  same  condition  as  he  left  it  when 
next  he  wants  to  use  it.  The  gravers  can  be 
marked  by  numbers  or  letters  on  the  extreme 
edge  of  the  top  of  the  table  if  the  engraver  so  desires.  It  would 
not,  however,  be  necessary  to  do  this,  because  the  points  of  the 
graver  would  be  visible  and  the  tool  wanted  could  be  quickly  selected. 


Fig.  95 


TABLE  FOR  ENGRAVERS. 

For  those  who  do  engraving,  or  those  who  do  engraving  and 
watch  work,  and  have  room  enough  for  a table  for  each,  a table  as 
shown  at  Fig.  96  is  the  best  shape  for  engraving.  The  gravers  can 
be  laid  along  the  top  with 
the  points  toward  the  oper- 
ator as  here  shown.  Small 
shelves  can  be  placed  under 
the  table  at  the  right  and  left 
for  oilstones,  oil  can,  etc. 

A table  of  this  description 
can  be  made  very  cheaply, 
and  would  well  repay  the 

watchmaker  who  has  sufficient  room,  and  for  the  engraver  who  does 
engraving  only  it  is  almost  a necessity.  A table  of  this  description 
should  be  3 feet  long  by  2^  feet  wide,  and  should  be  about  6" 
higher  than  an  ordinary  table.  It  should  be  made  strong  and 
secure,  not  necessarily  of  hard  wood  ; however,  the  hard  wood 
would  be  better.  It  can  be  made  of  soft  wood,  providing  it  is 
well  braced. 


Fig.  96 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


ENGRAVING  INSCRIPTIONS  IN  SCRIPT. 

In  inscription  work  there  is  a greater  opportunity  for  an 
engraver  to  show  his  ability  than  in  any  other  class  of  engraving. 
He,  however,  may  demonstrate  his  ability  as  an  artist  better  in  orna- 
mental work  than  in  any  other  class  of  work,  but  inscriptions, 
even  though  they  be  composed  entirely  of  script  letters,  will  require 
more  ability  and  judgment  on  the  part  of  the  artist  than  any  other 
class  of  work.  There  are  certain  rules  that  can  be  laid  down  for 
inscription  work  that  will  be  here  applied  to  script  only,  but  the 
sam.e  principles  can  be  applied  to  more  ornamental  work  when  we 
reach  that  stage.  The  great  difficulty  in  engraving  script  inscrip- 
tions is  not  only  in  laying  the  work  out  in  such  a way  as  to  have  it 
begin  and  end  correctly,  and  the  right  number  of  words  on  each 
line  with  the  proper  prominence  given  to  each  word,  but  the 
necessity  of  maintaining  perfect  harmony  throughout  the  entire 
inscription,  allowing  no  one  line  to  appear  heavier  or  closer  to  the 
preceding  or  following  line  than  any  other  line  or  lines.  Of  course, 
some  words  would  of  necessity  have  to  be  made  larger  than  others, 
but  they  should  in  such  cases  be  given  sufficient  space  to  appear 
correctly.  It  is  often  found  that  where  an  engraver  has  engraved 
one  line  a little  heavier  than  others,  and  has  allowed  the  same  space 
between  the  top  of  said  line  and  the  bottom  of  the  preceding  line, 
and  the  bottom  of  said  line  and  the  top  of  the  following  line,  it  will 
make  that  particular  portion  of  the  inscription  appear  heavier  than 
the  remainder.  This  would  be  especially  noticeable  if  it  were  an 
inscription  to  be  printed  in  black  ink  on  white  paper.  Of  course,  it 
would  not  be  as  noticeable  if  cut  on  the  metal  to  read  from  the 
metal.  An  engraver  may  be  very  clever  in  cutting  with  a tool, 
and  be  able  to  cut  out  several  styles  of  letters,  and  yet  he  will  find 
when  he  comes  to  bring  all  those  styles  together  in  one  combination 
of  words  or  sentences,  and  give  due  prominence  to  each,  that  there 
are  elements  of  skill  to  be  brought  into  action  that  have  not  or  will, 
not  be  necessary  in  any  other  class  of  work.  In  other  words,  a 
man  may  be  able  to  engrave  any  piece  of  gold  or  silver  in  a jewelry 
store,  including  cipher  monograms,  with  remarkable  skill  and 


92 


The  Art  oj  Engraving . 


rapidity,  but  when  he  comes  to  bring  several  lines  together  in  one 
combination  of  sentences,  giving  the  proper  prominence  to  each 
word,  the  task  will  be  more  difficult  than  any  work  that  he  has 
previously  experienced,  yet  the  difficulty  can  be  overcome  if  the 
advice  here  laid  down  is  followed  strictly.  The  great  trouble  with 
most  beginners  is  that  they  do  not  guard  sufficiently  against  errors, 
or  are  not  as  accurate  in  the  detail  of  their  work  as  they  should  be. 
If  the  details  of  the  work  or  the  preliminaries  are  properly  carried 
out,  and  with  a mind  properly  concentrated  on  the  work  in  hand, 
little  difficulty  will  be  experienced.  As  a rule,  those  who  suffer 
most  from  difficulties  in  any  class  of  work  are  those  who  are  negli- 
gent in  other  duties,  especially  in  technical  work,  not  giving  proper 
consideration  and  thought  to  the  technicalities  necessary  to  lay  the 
foundation  for  the  beginning  of  the  work.  This  will  be  found  true 
by  those  who  have  followed  this  work  from  the  beginning  in  refer- 
ence to  putting  a graver  in  order.  They  know  at  the  present  time 
how  to  put  a graver  in  order  as  it  should  be,  but  if  they  had  not 
had  the  technical  instructions  to  start  with  it  would  be  impossible 
for  them  to  do  as  good  work  as  they  are  or  should  now  be  doing. 
Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  inscription  work  to  so  write  the 
inscription  that  the  right  word  begins  each  line.  If  the  engraver 
should  not  be  sufficiently  educated  himself  to  know  just  how  to  form 
the  inscription,  it  is  an  easy  matter  for  him  to  have  the  customer  or 
some  other  person  advise  him  as  to  the  correct  manner  of  laying 
out  the  inscription.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  with  reference 
to  the  beginning  of  words  with  capitals  or  not.  Sometimes  it  is 
found  advisable  to  begin  other  than  proper  nouns  or  beginning  of 
sentences  with  capitals.  For  illustration,  the  words  “father”  and 
“mother”  in  an  inscription  very  often  appear  better  if  the  words 
begin  with  capitals.  There  are  a great  many  instances  where  a 
common  noun,  beginning  with  a capital  in  an  inscription,  appears  far 
better  than  it  would  if  it  were  commenced  with  a small  letter,  but 
the  engraver  should  be  very  cautious,  because  if  he  should  make  an 
error  of  this  kind  the  article  would  probably  not  be  accepted  by  the 
customer,  but  as  previously  stated,  there  are  cases  where  variations 
from  the  grammatical  correctness  can  be  made  and  be  far  more 
pleasing  to  the  customer.  We  have  previously  learned  how  to 
engrave  script  back  hand,  perpendicularly,  on  scrolls,  and  in  fact, 
in  almost  all  conceivable  manners,  and  in  inscription  work  we  will 
find  it  advantageous  to  use  more  than  the  one  angle.  For  illustra- 


Engraving  Inscriptiojis  in  Script. 


93 


tion,  the  principal  word  in  an  inscription,  the  recipient’s  name,  for 
instance,  in  case  of  a watch  being  presented,  could  be  very  nicely 
engraved  scroll  shape,  and  sometimes  the  words  “presented  to” 
can  be  put  on  a slight  curve  at  the  top,  and  the  date  ending  the 
inscription  can  often  be  put  on  in  an  inverted  oval  or  crescent  shape 
to  correspond  with  the  top,  which  will  also  conform  to  the  shape  of 
the  watch  cap,  if  the  inscription  be  engraved  on  a watch. 

We  have  learned  in  our  mechanical  drawings  how  to  find  the 
center,  erect  perpendiculars,  etc.  In  engraving  an  inscription  on  a 
watch  case,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  find  the  center  of  the  case, 
which,  in  this  particular  piece  of  work,  is  done  thus  : Draw'  a line 

from  the  hinge  to  a point  opposite  the  pendant  ; then  find  the  center 
of  said  line,  upon  which  erect  a perpendicular  through  the  center  ; 
or,  in  other  words,  draw  a line  across  the  cap  horizontally  and  one 
perpendicularly.  Now,  in  case  we  have  five  or  six  lines  to  engrave 
on  the  watch  case,  they  having  previously  been  written  out  on  a 
piece  of  paper  with  the  proper  words  on  each  line,  and  the  engraver 
knowing  the  size  that  he  proposes  to  or  ought  to  give  to  each  line, 
he  should  then  find  the  center  of  the  inscription  vertically  on  the 
piece  of  paper.  If  he  finds  this  to  be  midway  between  any  two 
lines,  the  bottom  of  one  line,  or  even  the  middle  of  one  line,  he 
should  then  begin  to  space  from  the  horizontal  line  upward,  allowing 
the  upper  half  of  the  inscription  to  be  placed  between  said  line  and 
the  top  of  the  cap,  and  proceeding  likewise  with  the  lower  portion. 
Most  engravers,  in  doing  inscription  work,  seem  to  labor  under  the 
impression  that  the  inscription  ought  to  fill  the  watch  cap,  it 
mattering  not  how  large  the  cap  or  how  small  the  inscription.  This 
is  an  erroneous  idea.  The  inscription  should  be  made  with  the 
center  of  the  inscription  as  above  mentioned  directly  in  the  center 
of  the  watch  cap,  and  should  protrude  above  and  below  said  line  as 
far  as  is  necessary  to  get  the  lines  all  on.  If  it  should  only  be  one 
line  above,  it  should  be  placed  close  enough  to  the  middle  line  to 
look  well.  If  two  or  three  lines  the  same  rule  should  apply,  but  an 
inscription  should  never  be  put  on  to  the  case  or  cap  unless  there 
are  a sufficient  number  of  lines  to  do  so  by  making  tliem  the  proper 
size  and  as  close  together  as  they  ought  to  be,  according  to  the 
strict  rules  laid  down  for  that  class  of  work. 

The  scope  for  script  letters  is  such  that  an  entire  book  could  be 
written  on  the  subject  of  script  engraving.  There  are  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  pieces  of  gold  and  silver,  all  of  which  must  be 


94 


The  Art  oj  E?ig raving. 


treated  to  some  extent  in  a different  manner  if  they  are  all  to  be 
engraved  in  script,  but  the  engraver  who  will  studiously  consider 
the  suggestions  here  laid  down,  which  are  the  result  of  practical 
experience,  will  have  little  trouble  in  mastering  any  work  that  he 
will  have  to  do.  He  should  bear  in  mind  at  all  times  that  the 
letters  should  be  made  in  a size  and  as  far  as  possible  in  a shape 
not  varying  too  much  from  the  correct  form  to  conform  to  the 
shape  of  the  space  allotted  to  the  letter  or  letters. 

ENGRAVING  SCRIPT  IN  THE  BOWL  OF  TEASPOONS. 

Engraving  script  in  the  bowl  of  teaspoons  is  very  little  more 
difficult  than  engraving  elsewhere.  The  only  secret  of  this  class  of 
work  is  the  style  of  graver  used,  and  even  expert  engravers  will  not 
agree  as  to  which  is  the  best.  The  bayonet-shaped  graver  can 
be  used,  or  a regular  square  graver  heeled  up  on  the  under  side 
sufficiently  to  raise  the  hand  the  proper  height  to  enable  one  to  get 
into  the  bowl  of  the  teaspoon.  The  latter  is  the  one  preferred  by 
the  author.  In  engraving  the  names  of  cities  in  the  bowl  of  tea- 
spoons in  script,  it  is  a good  plan  to  make  the  style  of  letter  after 
the  style  of  looped  script,  which  we  have  described,  and  where  the 
letter  is  of  such  a character  that  it  has  a loop  at  the  lower  right 
portion  of  it,  said  loop  can  curve  down  below  the  lower-case  letters, 
and  a few  scrolls  such  as  we  have  previously  described  cut  around 
a word  thus  engraved  in  script,  would  enhance  its  beauty. 

ENGRAVING  SCRIPT  ON  IVORY,  PEARL,  ETC. 

In  engraving  script  on  ivory  and  pearl  a regular  square  graver 
can  be  used.  However,  in  some  cases  the  lozenge-shaped  graver 
is  advisable.  Especially  is  this  true  if  the  work  is  to  be  very  fine, 
as  it  is  necessary  to  get  the  work  a certain  depth  in  order  to  hold 
the  enamel.  The  method  of  cutting  the  script  is  practically  the 
same.  Of  course,  a graver  cannot  be  thrown  out  exactly  the  same 
as  it  could  in  metal.  A peculiar  movement  of  the  hand  is  necessary 
in  order  to  turn  and  chip  out  the  ivory,  pearl  or  celluloid  in  order 
not  to  chip  the  ending  of  a letter. 

However,  the  general  turns  are  required  and  the  little  tricks,  if 
we  may  use  the  term,  to  avoid  any  chipping,  will  be  readily  sug- 
gested by  experience.  The  work  should  be  cut  deeper  than  the 
regular  script,  and  it  is  not  necessary  that  the  lines  be  all  exactly 
the  same  depth,  but  they  should  be  as  nearly  so  as  is  practicable. 


Engravhig  Inscriptio7is  in  Script.  95 

The  hair  lines  especially  should  be  engraved  of  sufficient  depth  to 
insure  the  enamel  remaining  in,  and  it  is  advisable  to  use  a lozenge- 
shaped graver  for  such  hair  lines.  After  the  work  has  been 
carefully  cut,  it  should  be  brushed  off  so  as  to  remove  any  chips 
that  may  have  fallen  into  the  incisions  therefrom,  and  then  with  a 
stick  of  heel  ball,  such  as  is  used  by  shoemakers  for  polishing  the 
heels  of  shoes,  rub  over  the  lines.  This  material  being  soft,  as  it  is 
rubbed  over  the  incisions  will  fill  them  up.  It  should  be  rubbed  in 
vigorously.  After  a sufficient  amount  has  been  used  to  fill  the 
incisions  full,  it  can  be  rubbed  with  a burnish  in  order  to  press  it  in 
firmly  and  close  up  any  of  the  little  holes  that  may  remain,  after 
which  it  is  wiped  off  with  a piece  of  tissue  paper  or  a soft  rag.  The 
effect  of  this  heel  ball  is  that  the  harder  it  is  rubbed  in  the  brighter 
it  gets,  and  the  more  firmly  it  adheres  to  whatever  it  is  on.  There- 
fore, it  makes  a very  good  material  for  this  purpose. 

ENGRAVING  SEALS  IN  SCRIPT. 

Jewelers  who  sell  letter  seals  and  ha\  e to  engrave  them,  find 
the  engraving  a difficult  problem  to  contend  with,  as  the  profit  is 
not  sufficient  to  cut  a monogram.  Therefore,  a large  majority  of 
small  stores  engrave  seals  in  plain  script  letters,  one  letter  on  each 
seal.  The  method  of  engraving  a seal  is  to  first  place  the  seal 
down  on  a piece  of  paper  and  draw  a line  along  its  outer  edge  with 
a pencil,  allowing  for  the  difference  in  size  of  the  circle  made  by  the 
point  of  the  pencil  protruding  out  slightly  beyond  the  edge.  Then 
the  letter  is  sketched  on  to  the  paper  inside  of  this  circle,  care 
being  taken  that  it  be  placed  in  the  center.  This  can  be  done  by 
the  use  of  the  mechanical  drawings  previously  described.  In  this 
case  a perpendicular  and  horizontal  line  can  be  drawn,  which  gives 
us  the  center,  and  then  a line  above  and  below  the  horizontal  line, 
which  give  us  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  letter,  and  the  center  of 
the  letter  should  be  directly  over  the  perpendicular  line.  The 
surface  of  the  seal  is  covered  with  Chinese  white  or  transfer  wax, 
made  especially  for  the  purpose,  and  composed  of  Burgundy  pitch 
one  part,  Canada  balsam  one  part  and  white  wax  two  parts.  This 
is  placed  in  a bottle  with  a large  neck,  and  a tablespoonful  of 
benzine  put  in  on  top,  which  will  soften  or  dissolve  the  wax  or 
amalgamate  or  mix  with  it  in  such  a way  as  to  soften  it.  Then  a 
small  quantity  of  the  wax  thus  softened  is  taken  from  the  bottle  on 
the  point  of  a knife  or  graver  and  placed  on  the  seal  and  rubbed 


96 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


over  the  surface,  leaving  a thin  coating.  The  benzine  will  almost 
instantly  evaporate  and  leave  the  wax  on  the  surface  as  hard  as 
it  originally  was,  and  at  the  same  time  it  will  be  sufficiently  sticky 
to  hold  the  paper  down  after  it  has  been  once  brushed.  Having 
designed  the  letter  in  the  center,  as  above  described,  it  is  cut  out 
with  a pair  of  scissors,  care  being  taken  to  follow  the  line  made  by 
the  pencil  ; then  mark  on  to  the  piece  of  paper  which  is  the  top  and 
bottom  of  the  letter.  Then  place  it  properly,  according  to  the 
handle,  on  to  the  seal  and  press  it  down  thoroughly  with  the  thumb 
or  index  finger.  Then  hold  it  down  very  firmly  with  the  thumb 
and  index  finger  and  burnish  it  very  carefully,  not  necessarily  very 
hard.  Then  with  the  point  of  a knife  take  hold  on  one  side  of  the 
paper  and  peel  it  off  and  you  will  find  a very  distinct  impression 
from  the  paper,  the  wax  being  sufficiently  hard  to  tear  the  carbon 
made  by  the  pencil  from  the  paper.  The  reason  this  method  is 
preferred  to  the  Chinese  white  is  that  the  paper  will  stick  to  the 
wax,  while  with  the  Chinese  white  it  is  liable  to  move  during  the 
operation  of  transferring. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


OLD  ENGLISH. 

Old  English  is  a style  of  lettering  that  dates  back  as  far 
probably  as  any  ornamental  lettering.  We  are  inclined  to  believe 
that  it  is  the  first  of  the  ornamental  class  of  letters.  The  beginner 
in  engraving  never  feels  satisfied  with  his  ability  until  he  has 
engraved  old  English  letters.  There  is  a peculiar  fascination  about 
this  class  of  lettering  that  appeals  to  the  novice,  and  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  it  is  used  by  jewelers  for  ornamental  engraving  more 
extensively  than  any  other  class  of  so-called  fancy  or  ornamental 
lettering.  There  are  a great  many  styles  of  old  English,  and 
various  ways  of  cutting  these  styles,  and  even  the  proportions  of 
the  letters  are  found  to  vary  extensively.  Our  text  books  confine 
us  to  certain  rules  for  the  relative  proportion  of  the  lower-case  and 
capitals,  yet  such  rules  must  vary  as  the  practical  work  would 
require,  which  variation  must  be  made  judiciously.  When  a 
beginner  in  engraving  has  first  learned  the  correct  formation  of  the 
letters  (and  this  is  especially  true  in  old  English)  he  must  exercise 
due  judgment  in  any  modifications  or  variations  from  those  rules  to 
suit  the  practical  work  that  he  may  have  in  hand,  and  this  is  more 
true  in  old  English  probably  than  any  other  class  of  lettering.  It 
is  possible  to  vary  the  heights  and  widths  of  letters,  and  the  angles 
of  the  bars  and  the  space  between  the  letters.  This  can  be  done  so 
as  to  produce  a very  desirable  effect,  and  if  the  space  allotted  to  the 
name  be  irregular,  or  large  or  small  in  size,  the  change  necessitated 
by  such  irregularity  or  variations  of  sizes  and  space  must  be  made 
with  a great  deal  of  care,  as  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  make  a letter  too 
large  or  too  small  and  thereby  spoil  the  effect  of  the  work,  though 
it  be  done  with  a great  deal  of  skill  otherwise.  It  is  impossible  to 
outline  any  mechanical  or  geometrical  system  by  which  old  English 
letters  can  be  laid  out.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  show  the 
student  personally  how  he  could  take  advantage  of  some  little 
points,  but  to  give  written  advice  as  to  a system  which  can  be 
followed  in  all  cases  would  be  impossible.  It  is  the  custom  of  all 
beginners  to  draw  the  letters  free  hand,  using  a text  book  as  a 
copy. 


97 


98 


The  Art  of  Engravmg. 


At  Fig.  97  is  a print  from  an  engraved  plate  of  old  English, 
showing  a very  neat  style,  with  the  proportions  of  the  lower-case, 
capitals  and  figures  as  they  should  be  if  an  unlimited  amount  of 
space  were  given  the  letters.  Now,  in  case  the  space  is  very  small 

rs  tvcb\>:ix^z$c 

Fig.  97 

in  which  the  letters  are  to  be  engraved,  the  lower-case  letters  should 
be  at  least  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  capitals,  but  we  find  that 
where  old  English  is  engraved  by  our  most  skilled  engravers  on 
card  plates  that  the  lower-case  letters  are  not  more  than  one-half 
the  height  of  the  capitals,  and  this  proportion  looks  very  neat. 
While  on  a card  plate  this  proportion  is  correct,  and  would  be 
correct  on  a great  many  pieces  of  silver,  yet  there  are  spaces  on 
pieces  of  silver  and  jewelry  that  the  engraver  has  to  letter,  where, 
if  the  lower-case  letters  were  made  only  one-half  the  height  of  the 
capitals,  they  would  be  almost  invisible,  while  the  capitals  would 
be  easily  read.  In  a space  of  this  description  the  lower-case 
letters  should  be  at  least  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  capitals,  and 
there  are  spaces,  such  as  inside  of  rings,  where  the  lower-case  letters 
could  be  made  even  higher  still  than  two-thirds  the  height  of  the 
capitals.  We  seldom,  however,  have  occasion  to  engrave  a ring  in 
old  English.  Old  English  letters  are  composed  largely  of  perpen- 
dicular and  angular  bars  with  hair  lines  making  proper  connections, 
there  being  very  few  loops  in  the  letters  ; and  while  the  student,  as 
before  intimated,  has  a great  desire  to  do  this  class  of  work,  owing 
to  it  being  ornamental  and  thereby  fascinating,  he  will  agree  with 


Old  English. 


99 


the  author  as  he  advances  in  the  art,  that  old  English  letters  are 
easy  to  cut.  They  may,  however,  be  difficult  to  design  in  the 
beginning,  and  may  appeal  to  the  beginner  as  difficult  to  cut,  yet 
if  he  will  stop  to  think  for  a moment  and  observe  closely  he  will 
learn  that  old  English  is  composed  largely  of  angular  and  perpen- 
dicular bars,  which,  being  cut  in  one  style  of  cutting  with  a hat- 
bottom  graver  and  one  stroke,  must  be  easier  than  script  letters 
which  are  composed  of  curvatures  and  loops.  We  have  passed 
through  the  most  difficult  class  of  lettering  when  we  have  accom- 
plished script  lettering,  and  those  who  have  followed  our  instruc- 
tions thus  far,  and  have  mastered  the  work  according  to  instructions 
given,  will  find  that  old  English  is  easy  to  master. 

In  designing  old  English  letters  the  engraver  should  hold  the 
work  to  be  designed  firmly  and  in  front  of  him,  not  bearing  to  the 
right  or  to  the  left  at  all,  as  a slight  variation  in  either  direction 
will  cause  a tendency  to  make  the  letters  lean  backward  or  for- 
ward. Any  letter  that  is  engraved  vertically  is  more  difficult  to 
make  exactly  right  than  those  on  an’  angle,  either  backward  or 
forward.  This  is  owfing  to  the  fact  that  a slight  variation  from 
vertical  would  be  very  noticeable,  but  if  the  beginner  will  hold  the 
work  directly  in  front  of  him,  and  as  he  advances  to  the  right  with 
the  letters  slide  the  paper  or  the  article  in  hand  on  which  he  is 
designing  to  the  left,  so  as  to  keep  that  particular  letter  wffiich  he  is 
designing  directly  in  front  of  him,  the  work  wall  be  found  easy. 

The  spacing  between  old  English  letters  is  considered  by  many 
quite  difficult.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  do  not  begin  the 
letter  to  the  right  of  the  one  just  finished  accurately.  The  author 
has  found  that  if  the  hair  line  protruding  downward  or  upw^ard  from 
the  main  bar  of  a lower-case  letter  is  designed  first,  setting  it  as 
close  to  the  preceding  similar  line  as  is  advisable,  then  making  the 
particular  bar  according  to  the  location  of  this  hair  line,  allowing  a 
slight  change  as  the  case  may  require,  the  w-ork  is  very  easy  to  do. 
The  student  should  remember  that  the  vertical  lines  should  be 
sketched  first,  or  one  vertical  line  sketched  first,  then  an  angular 
bar  on  that  particular  vertical  line.  The  next  vertical  bar,  if  the 
letter  is  of  the  class  that  has  two  vertical  bars,  can  be  engraved 
next,  or  the  angular  bar  at  the  top  or  bottom  of  it  as  the  operator 
prefers.  The  most  valuable  advice  to  be  given  to  a beginner  in 
reference  to  sketching  old  English,  apart  from  keeping  the  w^ork 


lOO 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


directly  in  front  of  him,  is  to  remember  to  make  the  perpendicular 
main  bars  of  the  letter  first,  and  the  angular  bars  next,  and  then 
add  on  the  hair  lines  connecting,  unless  it  be  in  a case  where  the 
little  hair  lines  connecting  or  protruding  from  the  bar  of  the  letter 
are  made  first  as  a guide  for  spacing. 

We  have  given  instructions  how  to  grind  flat-face  gravers  for 
cutting  block  letters,  etc. , which  class  of  gravers  will  be  the  class 
that  we  now  have  to  use  in  old  English  lettering. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


METHOD  OF  CUTTING  OLD  ENGLISH. 

At  Fig.  98  we  illustrate  the  proportion  of  old  English  in  lower- 
case letters  by  giving  the  capital  twice  the  space  of  the  lower-case 
letter,  a proportion  that  can  be  used  in  a great  many  places,  but  in 


Fig.  98 


Fig.  99 


a case  where  the  space  is  limited  it  is  preferable  to  make  the  lower 
case  letter  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  capitals,  as  shown  at  Fig.  99. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  show  by  illustration,  or  to  give 
instructions  how  to  cut  all  the  different  bars  of  the  old  English 
alphabet,  as  there  are  only  a limited  number  of  bars 
alphabet,  many  of  them  being  exactly  the  same, 
mention  of  a few  of  the  principal  bars  will  suffice  for 
to  cut  the  entire  alphabet. 

The  main  bar  of  a great  many  of  the  capital 
letters,  shown  at  Fig.  100,  is  cut  by  placing  a flat- 
bottom  graver  in  the  position  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tion, and  as  the  graver  is  pushed  forward  on  the 
angle  there  indicated,  it  is  gradually  turned  over  to 
the  right.  When  at  the  point  where  it  should  go 
forward  directly  vertical,  it  is  turned  and  held  flat, 
both  corners  of  the  graver  being  in  the  metal  an 
equal  distance  from  the  surface  until  the  graver  arrives 
at  the  point  at  the  top  of  the  bar  where  said  bar  com- 
mences to  diminish  in  its  width,  at  which  point  the 
graver  is  rolled  over  on  its  right  corner  and  turned  to 
the  left,  thereby  throwing  the  graver  out,  leaving  the  bar  pointed 
at  the  top  and  slightly  curving  to  the  right  in  a direction  opposite 
to  that  at  the  start. 


in  the  entire 
Therefore,  a 
the  beginner 


Fig.  100 


101 


102 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


At  Fig.  loi  we  show  the  graver  in  position  to  cut  the  little 
bar  protruding  from  the  main  bar  of  a number  of  the  letters.  It 
would  be  easier  to  make  this  little  cut  by  beginning  at  the  pointed 
end  and  cutting  in,  but  that  is  not  done  in  this  case  because  if  we 
begin  at  the  end  and  cut  in  when  the  graver  arrives 
at  the  point  of  the  main  bar  of  the  letter  where  the 
connection  is  made,  the  tendency  would  be  for  the 
graver  to  slide  into  the  incision  of  the  main  bar, 
thereby  making  an  ugly  cut  in  the  center  of  the 
same.  For  this  reason  the  graver  is  placed  in 
position  as  shown  at  Fig.  loi,  and  is  pushed  for- 
ward in  the  direction  of  the  arrow,  and  as  it  is 
pushed  forward  it  is  gradually  turned  up  on  the  left  corner  and 
around  to  the  right  from  the  operator,  thereby  diminishing  the 
width  of  the  cut  and  curving  it  so  as  to  point  downward. 

At  Fig.  102  we  illustrate  a similar  bar  of  a letter  used  in  most 
of  the  capital  letters  either  at  the  top  or  the  bottom.  This  style  of 
a cut  is  used  at  the  bottom  of  the  A,  as  shown  at  Fig.  98,  and  of 
the  B,  as  shown  at  Fig.  99.  This 
style  of  cutting  that  we  are  now 
considering  is  known  as  bright  cut- 
ting, where  the  bars  of  a letter  are 
cut  with  a flat-bottom  graver,  pol- 
ished. To  cut  this  bar  of  the  letter 
the  flat-face  graver  is  placed  in 
position,  as  shown  at  Fig.  102,  and 
pushed  forward  in  the  direction  of 
the  arrow.  When  the  graver  arrives  at  the  end  of  the  line  the 
left  point  of  the  graver  should  just  come  even  with  the  surface  of 
the  metal,  thereby  making  the  ending  of  the  bar  exactly  the  same 
width  as  the  graver. 

At  Fig.  103  we  illustrate  the  principle  of  lapping 
angular  and  vertical  bars  of  the  lower-case  old  English 
letters.  It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  angular  bar  of  the 
letter  is  wider  by  about  one-third  than  the  vertical  bar, 
which  proportion  makes  a most  artistic  letter.  It  will 
Fig.  103  illustration  that  the  left  point  of  the 

graver  cutting  the  angular  bar  upward  should  be  .placed  directly  in 
the  center  of  the  vertical  bar  and  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver 
just  crossing  the  upper  left  corner  of  the  vertical  bar,  thereby 


Method  of  Cutting  Old  Ryiglish. 


103 


the 


allowing  the  graver  to  protrude  upward  to  the  right  from  the 
vertical  bar.  This  bar  of  the  letter  should  be  cut  on  an  angle  of 
45°,  and  a graver  should  always  be  placed  at  this  point,  that  is, 
with  the  left  corner  of  the  graver  directly  in  the  center  of  the 
vertical  bar  and  with  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver  crossing 
upper  right  corner  of  the  vertical  bar. 

The  angular  bars  of  the  old  English 
letters  should  be  on  an  angle  of  45°,  as 
illustrated  at  Fig.  104.  We  here  show  by 
a diagram  what  an  angle  of  45°  is.  The 
line  o represents  a horizontal  line,  and  the 
angular  line  is  45°  upward  from  same,  as 
indicated  by  the  direction  of  the  arrow.  It 
will,  therefore,  be  seen  that  the  angle  of 
these  bars  is  45°,  and  is  also  the  angle 
length  of 
Fig.  104, 


IS 


/<N/ 


Fig.  105 


Fig.  104 

that  looks  best.  The 
the  vertical  portion  of  the  lower-case  letters,  shown  at 
twice  the  length  of  the  angular  portion.  By  this 
length  we  do  not  mean  from  the  beginning  of  the  bar 
to  the  ending  of  the  bar,  but  the  space  occupied  by 
the  angular  bar  horizontally  is  one-half  the  space 
occupied  by  the  vertical  bar. 

To  illustrate  the  difference  between  angular  and 
vertical  bars  of  the  same  and  different  widths,  we  illus- 
trate at  Fig.  105  a bar  like  the  one  shown  at  Fig.  104, 
with  the  angular  bars  the  same  width  as  the  vertical 
bars.  This  proves  conclusively  that  the  slight  increase  of  width 
of  the  angular  bars  looks  much  better. 

At  Fig.  106  we  show  a similar  portion  of  the 
lower-case  letters  with  the  vertical  portion  of  the  letter 
reduced  from  that  shown  at  Fig.  104.  The  space  here 
occupied  by  the  vertical  portion  of  the  bar  is  the  same 
as  that  occupied  by  the  angular  portion  of  the  bar  from 
the  beginning  to  the  ending  of  the  vertical  bar. 

These  illustrations  are  given  and  suggestions  made  owing  to 
the  fact  that  there  are  in  text  books  and  in  some  classes  of  engraving 
that  come  to  the  attention  of  beginners,  letters  that  vary  in  the 
points  here  mentioned.  They  are  given  to  show  to  the  student 
the  advisability  of  using  certain  portions  of  letters  and  the  disad- 
vantage of  using  others.  We  cannot  say  just  where  the  portions  of 
letters  shown  at  Fig.  106,  should  be  used  in  preference  to  that  at 


Fig.  106 


104  Engravmg. 

Fig.  104,  but  cases  will  come  to  the  attention  of  the  student  when 
he  will  find  it  to  his  advantage  to  use  a long  slim  letter  or  a full  letter. 

At  Fig.  107  we  illustrate  a cut  used  extensively  in  capital  old 
English  letters,  which  is  known  as  the  roll  cut.  The  term  roll  cut 
is  applied  to  it  because  the  bar  is  made  by  beginning  on  the  right 

corner  of  the  flat-face  graver, 
as  shown  at  Fig.  107,  the 
graver  pushed  forward  and 
gradually  turned  down  so  as  to 
increase  the  width  of  the  in- 
cision until  the  graver  arrives 
at  the  point  indicated  by  B,  at 
which  point  the  graver  should 
be  flat  and  both  corners  held 
into  the  metal,  thereby  making 
a flat  incision.  It  is  then  pushed  forward  in  this  position  until  the 
point  of  the  graver  arrives  at  A,  where  it  is  gradually  turned  to  the 
right  and  tipped  up  on  the  opposite  corner  from  the  one  inserted  at 
the  other  end  of  the  cut.  It  is  for  this  reason,  as  above  stated, 
that  the  stroke  is  called  a roll  cut,  as  we  begin  on  one  corner  of  the 
graver  and  roll  the  graver  over  and  throw  it  out  on  the  opposite 
corner,  thereby  making  the  stroke  shorter,  as  shown  here  in  one 
stroke.  The  old  style  of  making  this  cut  was  to  make  a straight 
bar  with  a flat-face  graver  and  then  a pointed  cut  into  each  end.  This 
method  necessitated  three  strokes,  while  in  this  case  it  can  be  done 
complete  with  one,  and  much  more  rapidly. 

At  Fig.  108  we  illustrate  the  capital  C, 
as  here  shown,  to  represent  a bright-cut 
letter.  In  cutting  a letter  of  this  kind  the 
graver  is  inserted  at  the  extreme  point  of  the 
main  bar  of  the  letter  indicated  by  the  letter 
A.  As  it  is  pushed  forward  and  curved 
around  sufficiently  to  make  a proper  curve, 
it  is  gradually  turned  over  to  the  right  from 
the  operator,  which  would  increase  the  width 
of  the  bar.  It  is  thus  curved  and  turned 
over  until  the  point  on  the  bar  indicated  by  B 
is  reached,  at  which  point  the  graver  is  nearly  flat,  and  it  is  held  in 
such  position  until  it  is  pushed  forward  to  the  letter  D,  at  which 
point  it  is  gradually  tipped  back  toward  the  operator  from  the  right 


Method  of  Cuttmg  Old  English. 


105 


to  the  left,  thereby  decreasing  the  width  of  the  incision  until  the 
same  is  reduced  to  a hair  line  at  the  base  of  the  curve,  and  it  is 
continued  a hair  line  until  the  end.  The  main  center  bar  of  the 
letter  is  cut  the  same  as  shown  in  illustration  at  Fig.  100,  with  the 
exception  that  the  beginning  and  ending  of  the  letter  is  not  as 
pointed,  but  how  to  increase  and  decrease  the  point  of  the  bar  at 
the  top  or  bottom  was  illustrated  and  explained  at  Fig.  100. 

The  top  of  the  C,  it  will  be  observed,  is  an  inverted  stroke,  as 
shown  at  Fig.  102,  and  the  method  of  cutting  it  is  the  same.  These 
cuts,  above  described  and  illustrated,  are  the  principal  ones  embodied 
in  bright-cut  old  English  letters,  and  one  familiar  with  block  letters 
and  such  cuts  as  we  have  here  mentioned,  will  find  little  trouble  in 
cutting  any  letter  in  the  alphabet.  One  reason  for  beginners  being 
discouraged  when  they  first  commence  old  English,  is  that  the 
letters  are  so  complicated  in  appearance  that  they  fear  they  will  not 
be  able  to  cut  them  properly,  while  if  they  study  the  letter  in  detail, 
as  previously  intimated,  they  will  find  the  letters  are  simple,  being 
composed  of  vertical  and  angular  bars  connected  with  straight  lines, 
which  must  of  necessity  be  an  easy  letter  to  master.  The  beginner 
should  not  attempt  to  grasp  the  entire  letter  at  one  time,  but  simply 
study  and  work  on  one  bar  of  the  letter  at  one  time,  keeping  in 
mind  the  other  bars  sufficiently  to  give  the  proper  location  of  the 
one  he  is  at  work  on,  and  he  will  soon  become  so  familiar  with  the 
letters  that  he  will  be  able  to  design  them  with  rapidity. 

Old  English  letters,  bright  cut,  are  used  usually  on  Roman 
gold  finish  or  cheap  goods,  such  as  aluminum  or  Britannia  goods, 
satin  finish  or  even  sterling  silver  satin  finish.  The  higher  class  of 
old  English  is  usually  fine-line  English.  The  method  of  cutting 
what  is  known  in  card  engraving  as  solid  old  English  (an  apt  name 
for  the  style  above  described)  is  used  extensively  on  watch  caps  for 
inscriptions.  In  cutting  this  class  of  letter  the  method  is  exactly 
the  same  as  above  described,  except  that  the  graver  is  left  in  the 
condition  that  it  comes  from  the  oilstone — not  polished — thereby 
making  a bar  of  a letter  in  such  condition  as  to  cause  it  to  appear 
to  be  composed  of  a series  of  fine  lines  due  to  the  ragged  condition 
of  the  extreme  cutting  edge  of  the  graver.  This  style  of  cutting 
old  English  is  used  on  polished  surfaces.  The  student  should 
remember  that  he  should  never  cut  bright  cut  with  a flat-face  graver 
on  a polished  surface.  On  a deadened  finish,  such  as  satin  finish, 
we  cut  bright  cut,  and  on  polished  surfaces  the  effect  of  the 


io6 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


incisions  should  be  a deadened  or  dull  one,  which  is  obtained  by 
a series  of  fine  lines  cut  with  a square  graver,  or  with  the  ragged 
cutting  edge  of  a flat-face  graver. 

At  Fig.  109  we  illustrate  a bar  of  several  of  the 
old  English  capital  letters,  which  is  cut  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  arrows.  We  do  this  because  of  the  fact 
that  a great  many  beginners  cut  this  bar  directly  in 
A the  opposite  direction,  while  the  bar  should  be  cut  as 
indicated  by  the  arrows  illustrated  at  Fig.  109. 

At  Fig.  1 10  we  illustrate  the  word  “Roe”  in 
J old  English.  We  have  previously  mentioned  some 

Fig.  109  facts  in  reference  to  the  exact  proportions  of  old 

English,  but  to  show  the  proportions  by  means  of 
a drawing  the  student  is  referred  to  Fig.  no,  where  he  will  observe 
that  the  letters  are  divided  into  eight  equal  spaces,  the  capital 
occupying  eight  and  the  lower-case 
letters  four  ; the  angular  bars  of  the 
lower-case  letters  one  space  and  the 
perpendicular  bars  two  spaces.  This 
gives  to  the  student  with  mechanical 
accuracy  the  proportions  of  old 
English  letters  when  the  lower-case 
letters  are  to  be  one-half  the  height  of  the  capitals.  If  it  is  desired 
to  increase  the  height  of  the  lower-case  letters  five  spaces  should  be 
used,  and  if  still  higher,  six.  It  is,  however,  preferred,  where 
proper  space  is  given,  to  make^the  lower-case  letters  either  one-half 
or  five-eighths  the  height  of  the  capitals. 

One  of  the  styles  of  cutting  old  English  letters  used  by  jewelers 
more  extensively  than  any  other  on  plated  ware,  is  that  of  wriggled 
old  English.  The  method  of  wriggling  has  been  previously  described 
by  an  illustration  showing  the  position  of  the  graver  rocking  to  the 
right  and  the  left,  and  the  student  should  refer  back  to  such  descrip- 
tion. In  wriggling,  a flat-face  graver  is  used  and  held  in  the 
hand  on  a proper  angle  to  keep  the  point  of  the  graver  in  the  metal 
so  as  to  enable  the  engraver  to  rock  the  tool  to  the  right  and  the 
left,  and  as  the  graver  is  thus  rocked  it  is  gradually  turned  in  the 
hand,  which  causes  the  point  of  the  graver  that  is  out  of  the  metal 
to  slightly  protrude  out  beyond  the  point  that  it  left  when  it  was 
raised  from  the  metal,  thereby  taking  a little  forward  movement  as 
it  is  rocked  backwards  and  forwards. 


Fig.  110 


Method  of  Cutthig  Old  E7iglish.  107 

At  Fig.  Ill  we  illustrate  one  of  the  principal  bars  of  the  lower- 
case letters,  showing  how  the  vertical  bars  are  wriggled  coarse  with 
one  width  of  the  graver  and  the  angular  bars  wriggled  finer  with 
another,  the  latter  bars  being  one-third  wider  than 
the  vertical  bars.  The  width  of  the  wriggling  is 
increased  and  diminished  by  the  angle  on  which  the 
graver  is  held.  The  higher  up  the  graver  is  held 
and  the  less  rocking  to  the  right  and  the  left  the 
finer  the  wriggling  will  be.  The  finer  the  wrig- 
gling, if  accurate,  the  more  beautiful  is  the  work, 
but  in  a case  where  the  vertical  bars  of  the  work 
are  wriggled  coarse  and  the  angular  bars  wriggled  as  fine  as 
possible,  the  best  effect  is  produced. 

Again,  referring  to  Fig.  iii,  we  illustrate  from  the  top  of  the 
bar  down  to  the  point  indicated  by  the  letter  B,  how  the  wriggled 
old  English  letters  can  be  shaded  with  a flat-face  graver.  The 
method  of  shading,  allowing  the  angle  of  the  incision  to  incline 
toward  the  bar  of  the  letter,  has  been  previously  described,  but 
attention  is  again  called  to  it.  These  letters  could  be  shaded  even 
wider  than  here  illustrated,  but  a width  such  as  is  shown,  is 
advisable  for  the  beginner.  After  one  is  skilled  in  the  use  of  a 
flat-face  graver  for  shading,  a shade  made  one-third  the  width  of 
the  bar  should  be  used,  but  it  requires  great  deftness  in  the  use  of 
the  tool  to  make  a shade  stroke  this  width. 

Wriggling  can  be  used  in  conjunction  with  bright-cut  letters 
by  making  the  vertical  bar  of  the  letters,  both  capitals  and  lower- 
case, bright  cut,  and  having  all  angular  and  horizontal  bars  wriggled 
very  fine.  A letter  cut  in  this  way  would  produce  a very  beautiful 
effect,  providing,  however,  that  it  is  on  an  unpolished  surface.  If  on 
a polished  surface  the  bright-cut  strokes  should  be  cut  with  a graver 
unpolished,  when  the  effect  will  be  found  to  be  equally  as  artistic. 
This  method  can  be  reversed  by  bright  cutting  the  angular  and 
horizontal  bars  and  wriggling  the  vertical  bars. 

At  Fig.  1 12  we  illustrate  one  of  the  bars  of 
the  old  English  letters  wriggled.  The  method  of 
wriggling  such  a bar  is  a very  difficult  thing  for  a 
writer  to  describe.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
show  a student  how  this  class  of  work  is  done,  but 
if  he  were  told  that  it  was  possible  to  take  a flat-face  graver  and 
wriggle  from  an  incision  equal  to  the  width  of  the  graver  itself  and 


Fig.  113 


io8 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


gradually  tapering  down  to  a fine  line  he  would  not  believe  it,  yet 
this  is  a very  easy  thing  to  do,  and  it  is  very  useful  to  the  engraver. 
Indeed,  if  it  were  not  for  our  ability  to  make  such  a cut  wriggled  we 
would  not  be  able  to  wriggle  certain  old  English  letters,  and  this 
would  cause  a great  deal  of  additional  work  when  engraving  cheap 
articles  by  making  it  necessary  to  engrave  shaded  old  English 
letters  instead  of  wriggled  letters,  as  it  would  be  quite  impossible 
for  any  but  the  most  skilled  engravers  to  cut  with  a flat-face  graver 
a bar  on  to  hard  metal  such  as  plated  spoons  and  forks. 

The  method  of  cutting  the  bar,  shown  at  Eig.  112,  is  to  place 
the  graver  in  position  for  regular  wriggling,  and  as  the  graver  is 
pushed  forward  and  gradually  rocked,  it  is  pulled  upward  toward 
the  operator.  Now,  just  how  much  to  pull  the  graver  toward  the 
operator  and  just  how  much  to  push  it  forward,  is  the  secret  of 
doing  this  work  with  accuracy.  It  will  be  plainly  seen  that  in 
order  to  make  the  letter  curve  around  with  any  degree  of  accuracy, 
the  pressure  forward  and  the  pull  toward  the  operator  must  be 
in  harmony  or  in  unison.  If  we  push  the  graver  forward  with  more 
power  than  we  pull  it  toward  the  operator,  the  bar  of  the  letter 
would  be  too  long,  while  if  we  pulled  it  toward  the  operator  with 
more  power  than  we  pushed  it  forward,  it  would  be  too  short,  and 
if  the  pressure  forward  and  toward  the  operator  should  vary  at 
different  stages  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  we  would  have  an 
irregular  curve.  It  will,  therefore,  be  readily  seen  that  some 
thought  and  very  careful  practice  is  very  necessary  to  do  this  work, 
remembering  that  the  reduction  of  the  width  of  the  bar  of  the  letter 
is  caused  by  pulling  the  graver  toward  the  operator,  allowing  its 
position  forward  to  be  exactly  the  same.  The  graver  must  not 
be  turned  or  its  position  changed  ; it  should  be  facing  the  same 
direction  when  it  is  thrown  out  at  the  bottom  of  the  line  as  when 
it  was  first  inserted  in  the  metal. 

At  Fig.  1 13  we  illustrate  what  has  pre- 
viously been  described  as  the  roll  cut.  In 
this  case  it  will  be  observed  that  it  is  necessary 
to  start  the  graver  by  wriggling  a hair  line, 
gradually  increasing  the  same  to  the  width  of 
the  graver  and  then  diminishing  again  to  a 
hair  line.  This  to  those  not  skilled  in  the  art 
would  seem  to  be  a very  difficult  thing  to  do,  yet  it  is  not  difficult. 
On  the  contrary,  it  is  quite  easy.  When  the  graver  is  first  inserted 


Method  of  Cutting  Old  English. 


109 


Fig.  114 


at  the  upper  right  corner  of  this  bar  it  is  pulled  toward  the  operator 
with  more  pressure  than  it  is  pushed  forward,  which  makes  it  curve 
around  on  a sharp  curve.  After  such  curve  is  made  the  graver  is 
pushed  forward  and  not  pulled  toward  the  operator  at  all,  until  the 
point  of  the  curve  at  the  left  is  reached,  at  which  point  it  is 
gradually  again  pulled  toward  the  operator,  thus  reducing  the  bar 
to  a hair  line.  The  method  of  shading  these  bars  of  wriggled  old 
English  letters  is  the  same  as  has  been  previously  described  for 
shading  block  letters,  remembering  that  it  is  usually  the  custom  to 
shade  the  bars  of  all  letters  on  the  lower  right-hand  side. 

At  Fig.  1 14  we  illustrate  the  center  bar  of  the  capital  S.  This 
is  a bar  that  bothers  students  to  wriggle,  it  being  difficult  to  start  a 
hair  line  and  end  a hair  line  in  this  position.  We 
therefore  find  it  necessary  to  start  at  A and  wriggle 
in  the  direction  of  the  arrow,  and  as  the  graver  is 
inserted  it  is  pushed  forward,  and  as  the  curve  is 
reached  it  is  gradually  pushed  away  from  the  ope- 
rator, it  being  necessary  to  push  the  graver  away 
from  the  operator  with  more  power  than  it  is  pushed 
forward,  keeping  in  mind  that  the  graver  should  not 
be  turned  around.  The  position  of  the  graver  is  the  same  at  all 
times  in  making  these  cuts.  It  is  simply  the  pressure  to  the  right 
or  the  left  which  reduces  the  width  of  the  stroke.  The  right  portion 
of  this  stroke  is  cut  in  the  opposite  direction  as  indicated  by  the 
arrow.  The  method  of  cutting  is  exactly  the  same  as  described  for 
that  portion  at  the  left. 

At  Fig.  1 15  we  illustrate  the  capital  O,  which  will  be  consid- 
ered the  most  difficult  letter  of  the  old  English  alphabet  to  wriggle. 

It  is  in  this  case  practically  impossible  to  begin 
at  the  top  of  the  pointed  portion  of  the  old 
English  O at  the  right  and  wriggle  from  that 
point  down  to  the  bottom,  increasing  and  dimin- 
ishing the  width  of  the  wriggled  stroke.  It 
cannot  be  done  because  the  stroke  does  not 
curve  sufficiently.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  to 
begin  as  shown  here  at  that  point  where  the  bar 
of  the  letter  is  sufficiently  wide  to  be  made  the 
same  width  from  that  point  down  to  a corre- 
sponding point  at  the  base  of  the  letter,  and  at  the  extreme  right 
the  same  rule  prevails.  The  center  of  the  bar  of  the  letter  is  an 


I lO 


The  Art  of  Engraving, 


easy  matter  to  wriggle.  The  vacant  spaces  left  by  the  taper  at  the 
top  and  bottom  of  the  letter  are  filled  in  if  the  letter  is  to  be  shaded 
by  making  the  bright-cut  stroke  and  then  running  a hair  line  along 
the  upper  edge  of  the  same.  If  the  lines  are  simply  wriggled  and 
not  shaded  then  that  portion  of  the  letter  not  shaded  is  filled  in 
with  fine  lines,  making  about  three  lines  from  the  point  of  the  letter 
at  the  top  down  to  the  wriggled  bar  and  the  same  at  the  bottom. 

This  letter,  as  here  shown,  would  convey  the  idea  that  the 
letter  is  outlined  with  the  square  graver  and  then  filled  in  with  a 
wriggled  stroke.  This  is  erroneous.  The  letter,  as  here  illustrated, 
is  to  show  a wriggled  letter  only  with  no  lines  cut  on  the  outside. 
These  lines  here  are  used  simply  as  a guide.  Now,  if  it  is  desired, 
the  letters  could  be  shaded  on  the  lower  right  hand  side,  as  shown 
at  Fig.  Ill,  and  then  a fine  hair  line  run  around  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bar  of  the  letter.  This  class  of  wriggled  letters  produces 
a very  beautiful  effect,  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  on  cheap 
work  the  old  English  letters  are  wriggled  only,  there  being  no  cuts 
made  before  or  after. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


SOME  USES  AND  STYLES  OF  OLD  ENGLISH. 

Wriggled  old  English  shaded  on  the  lower  right-hand  side 
about  one-third  the  width  of  the  bars  of  the  letters,  or  even  less, 
is  a very  suitable  style  of  English  for  coffin  plate  engraving.  The 
- student  will  find  it  very  necessary  in  designing  old  English  letters 
to  first  use  the  wax  or  Chinese  white,  reference  to  which  has  been 
previously  made.  The  letters  should  be  designed  on  quite  accu- 
rately and  then  wriggled,  after  which  the  little  hair  lines  connecting 
the  different  bars  of  the  letters  and  protruding  therefrom,  should  be 
made.  This  will  complete  the  work  and  leave  a wriggled  letter 
only,  and  be  the  cheapest  class  of  fancy  old  English  work.  If  it  is 
desired  to  shade  the  old  English  strokes,  the  wriggling  is  done 
first,  then  the  shading,  then  the  hair  lines  connecting  the  different 
bars  of  each  letter.  Old  English  cut  in  this  way  produces  a very 
desirable  effect  and  answers  the  purpose  just  as  well  as  old  English 
outlined  and  filled  in  with  cross  lines,  which  would  require  nearly 
double  the  time  to  execute.  The  letters  can  be  shaded  with  the 
same  graver  that  the  bars  of  the  letter  are  wriggled  with.  Old 
English  letters  are  usually  engraved  perfectly  vertical.  They  can, 
however,  be  engraved  on  an  angle  of  about  15°  to  the  right  from 
vertical. 

Some  engravers  engrave  old  English  back  hand  about  10°  from 
vertical,  but  the  vertical  or  angle  to  the  front  is  preferable.  It  is 
much  easier  to  engrave  old  English  letters  on  an  angle  about  15° 
from  vertical  then  to  engrave  them  vertical,  because  on  the  angle  a 
very  slight  error  would  not  be  observed,  while  if  they  were  vertical 
it  would  be.  For  this  reason  a great  many  beginners  in  the  art  of 
engraving  tilt  all  their  old  English  letters,  and  the  author’s  advice 
would  be  to  the  novice  to  avoid  doing  so.  It  is  not  the  easy  things 
in  life  that  are  always  the  most  desirable  or  most  beneficial  from  a 
business  standpoint.  The  most  difficult  work  at  first  may  prove  to 
be  the  most  profitable  in  the  end,  and  it  is  the  kind  of  work  we 
would  enjoy  most  after  we  had  experienced  the  early  struggles  of 
fully  mastering  it.  All  students,  therefore,  should  make  their  old 


111 


II2 


The  Art  of  Ejigraving, 


English  letters  vertical  at  first,  until  they  are  masters  of  old  English 
in  that  position,  after  which  any  variation  from  it  can  be  made  with 
perfect  ease. 

WRIGGLED  OLD  ENGLISH  SHADED. 

In  shading  old  English,  as  previously  described,  the  beginner 
should  be  very  cautious  before  he  commences  to  design  his  letters, 
and  before  he  decides  on  the  width  of  graver  to  be  used,  to  know 
whether  he  is  to  shade  the  wriggled  strokes,  in  which  case  he  must 
select  a graver  narrower  than  would  be  used  if  letters  were  to  be 
wriggled  only.  This  is  necessary,  as  the  shade  stroke  increases  the 
width  of  the  bars  of  the  letters  about  one-third.  A properly  pro- 
portioned old  English  letter  wriggled  should  not  have  the  addi- 
tional width  by  being  shaded.  Very  often,  after  a letter  is  wriggled, 
the  original  intention  being  to  leave  it  wriggled  only,  the  engraver 
will  decide  to  elaborate  the  letter  by  shading  it.  This  should  not 
be  done  for  the  reasons  above  stated,  because  if  the  letter  was  in  the 
right  proportion  when  wriggled,  it  is  readily  seen  that  it  would  be 
wrong  if  the  shade  stroke  were  added. 

FINE  LINE  OLD  ENGLISH 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  fine  line  work,  as  applied  to  the  art  of 
engraving,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  styles,  because  it  is  superior. 
We  are  inclined  to  believe  that  fine-line  lettering  originated  in  the 
beautiful  effect  observed  on  card  plates  and  steel  engravings  by  the 
letters  being  formed  of  a series  of  fine  lines  engraved  very  close 
together,  this  being  done  in  this  case  to  receive  and  hold  the  ink. 
This  class  of  work  is,  of  course,  more  expensive  than  bright  cutting 
or  wriggling,  and  requires  more  skill  to  execute.  One  of  the 
common  errors  of  beginners  in  this  class  of  work  is  that  they  think 
it  necessary  in  order  that  a line  should  be  engraved  very  fine,  to 
hold  the  graver  so  as  to  cut  a V-shaped  incision.  This  is  not  so. 
A fine-line  letter  should  be  engraved  with  very  fine  lines,  it  is  true, 
and  the  lines  should  be  left  in  V-shape,  but  it  is  not  necessary  to 
cut  the  lines  in  that  way,  and  the  effect  is  not  obtained  by  cutting 
them  V-shaped  only. 

At  Fig.  ii6  we  illustrate  the  correct  method  of  cutting  fine 
lines  for  jewelry  and  silver  engraving.  A represents  the  plate  upon 
which  the  lines  are  engraved,  and  B the  graver,  which  in  actual 
operation  is  supposed  to  be  pushed  forward  in  the  direction  of  the 


Some  Uses  and  Styles  of  Old  Eyiglish.  113 

arrow.  It  will  be  seen  by  the  position  of  the  graver  that  it  is 
tilted  apparently  to  the  left,  but  if  held  in  the  engraver’s  hand  it 
would  be  to  the  right,  and  by  holding  the  graver  in  this  position  an 
incision  is  engraved,  as  shown  at  the 
end  of  the  line,  which  proves  that  the 
angle  on  the  left  of  the  incision  is  less 
than  the  angle  on  the  right.  This  is 
the  form  of  the  incision  when  used  in 
connection  with  shaded  letters.  In 
cutting  the  fine  lines,  it  matters  not 
whether  in  lettering  or  monograms, 
the  lines  are  always  cut  from  the  ope- 
rator. In  other  words,  the  first  line 
to  be  cut  is  the  one  nearest  the  ope- 
rator, and  as  he  cuts  the  lines  he  cuts 
from  him.  You  will,  therefore,  see 
that  the  second  stroke  of  this  graver,  if 
placed  on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  incision  and  the  surface  of  the 
plate,  will  split  the  line  so  as  to  leave  the  original  stroke  cut  with 
the  angles  on  the  sides  of  the  incision  equal. 

Referring  to  the  series  of  lines  illustrated  at  C,  on  plate  A, 
Fig.  1 16,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  highest  points  of  the  lines  are, 
when  cut  in  this  way,  below  the  original  surface  of  the  plate  as  they 
should  be.  By  so  cutting  the  lines  the  work  is  not  subjected  to  as 
much  wear  as  it  would  be  if  they  were  cut  just  even  with  the  surface. 
The  method  described  here  and  illustrated  by  the  position  of  the 
graver  B,  thoroughly  explains  how  it  is  that  we  are  able  to  lower 
the  lines  below  the  surface.  Not  only  are  we,  by  this  method, 
enabled  to  lower  the  lines  below  the  surface,  but  it  will  be  found 
that  a graver  used  in  this  position  is  much  easier  to  operate,  and 
also  that  while  we  are  doing  rather  coarse  work,  the  work  left 
behind  is  fine.  And  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  last  stroke 
of  any  bar  should  be  engraved  with  the  graver  held  in  a position  to 
cut  a V-shaped  incision,  which  is  done  by  tilting  the  graver  towards 
the  operator  from  the  position  shown  at  B,  so  as  to  cut  a stroke 
with  the  angles  on  each  side  of  the  incision  equal.  When  cutting 
fine  work  on  polished  surfaces  it  will,  of  course,  be  necessary  or 
advisable  to  use  a graver  in  the  condition  that  it  comes  from  the 
oilstone,  thereby  producing  a deadened  surface,  due  to  the  rough- 
ness of  the  graver  making  apparently  additional  fine  lines.  The 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


114 


effect  of  work  when  done  in  this  way  when  the  lines  are  cut  with 
extreme  accuracy,  is  most  beautiful,  and  is  by  far  superior  to  any 
other  kind  for  richness  and  plainness. 

It  is  the  practice  of  some  engravers,  and  it  is  preferred  by 
some  jewelers,  to  cut  fine-line  work  on  to  a deadened  finish  by 
making  the  lines  bright  cut.  It  is  difficult  to  say  which  is  best. 
Of  course,  it  is  true  that  lines  cut  in  this  way  are  more  effective 
than  they  would  be  if  they  were  cut  with  a deadened  finish.  The 
author’s  experience  has  been,  in  observing  the  work  of  some  of  our 
most  skilled  artists,  that  they  very  seldom  polish  a graver  for  this 
work.  It  would  not,  however,  be  wrong  to  do  so,  and  might  in 
some  cases  be  advisable.  It  is  one  of  those  cases  in  which  the 
judgment  of  the  engraver  should  be  exercised.  It  is  difficult  to 
illustrate  fine-line  work  as  it  should  appear.  As  here  shown  the 
lines  appear  to  be  separated.  This,  from  the  illustration  shown  at 
Fig.  1 16,  and  the  description  given  with  reference  thereto,  will 
prove  to  the  student  that  there  is  no  surface  showing  between  the 
two  lines. 

In  Fig.  1 17  we  have  the  main  bar  of  the  capital  letters  of  the 
old  English  alphabet.  It  will  be  here  seen  that  the  first  line  starts 
down  and  does  not  come  up  as  high  as  those  that  remain,  and  so  on 
through  the  bars  of  the  letter.  Sometimes  we  find  old 
English  letters  engraved  where  the  operator  has  commenced 
^ all  the  lines  and  ended  them  all  equal.  This,  of  course, 
should  not  be.  After  the  lines  have  been  cut,  as  here 
described,  a line  should  be  cut  along  the  edge  of  the  lines  at 
the  top  and  bottom  as  here  shown.  In  Eig.  118 
that  portion  of  the  bar  at  A is  cut  by  cutting  the 
strokes  out  from  the  bar,  all  of  which  should  be  cut 
perfectly  straight,  excepting  possibly  at  the  extreme 
end,  where  a slight  curve  should  be  given.  It 
would  be  better,  however,  to  make  no  curve  at  all 
than  to  make  too  much  of  a one.  Each  line  as  it 
is  cut  upward  is  shorter,  until  the  last  line  is  reached, 
which  line  is  short  horizontally,  but  after  starting  from 
the  main  bar  it  turns  and  curves  down  and  just  touches  n* 

the  extreme  end  of  the  other  lines,  thus  finishing  the  stroke.  It 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  cut  shown  at  Eig.  119  would  be  the  most 
difficult  in  fine-line  work.  This,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  termed  a 
roll  cut.  The  correct  way  to  cut  this  stroke  would  be  to  begin  at 


Fig.117 


Some  Uses  and  Styles  of  Old  English.  1 1 5 

one  end  with  a very  fine  line  and  make  the  line  increase  as  it  is 
pushed  forward,  and  as  the  opposite  end  is  reached  a gradual 
decrease  in  the  width  of  the  line  should  be  made,  thus  allowing 
each  and  every  line  to  begin  at  the  same 
point  and  end  at  the  same  point.  This  is 
quite  an  easy  operation  to  describe,  but  very 
difficult  to  execute.  It  will  be  found  diffi- 
cult at  the  turning  point  at  the  beginning  to 
cut  the  lines  smooth  and  clean  and  not  allow 
the  second  line  to  run  into  the  first  one  and 
so  on.  At  the  last  curve  also  the  natural  tendency  is  to  increase 
the  width  of  the  lines  at  the  point  where  they  should  be  diminished. 
Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  this  matter. 

The  method  above  described  is  the  correct  one  in  which  to  cut 
this  bar.  However,  we  find  that  even  our  most  expert  engravers 
avail  themselves  of  a variation  from  what  might  be  described  as 
the  exact  method  as  practice  necessitates.  The  objection  to  cutting 
the  line  in  the  manner  referred  to,  that  is,  by  cutting  the  half  of 
the  stroke  at  the  right  of  the  line  A A to  the  right  and  that  at  the 
left  to  the  left,  would  be  that  the  lines  being  turned  in  an  opposite 
direction,  an  opposite  effect  of  light  would  be  produced,  showing- 
very  plainly  that  the  work  had  been  done  in  this  way.  However,  it 
will  be  found  necessary  in  some  cases  to  cut  the  lines  in  this  manner. 
Of  course,  they  can  be  cut  with  a higher  degree  of  accuracy  and 
much  smoother  around  the  curves,  the  only  drawback  being  that 
above  mentioned. 

Now,  the  objection  to  the  other  method,  as  previously  stated, 
would  be  the  roughness  and  the  tendency  to  run  one  line  into 
another.  In  deciding  which  method  to  use  the  engraver  should 
decide  between  the  two  evils,  remembering  that  if 
he  cannot  so  master  the  work  as  to  cut  the  lines 
smoothly  and  accurately,  the  first  method  is  the  one 
he  should  use.  Those  bars  of  old  English  letters  of 
the  form  of  the  one  shown  at  Fig.  120,  are  very  easy 
to  cut  and  need  no  special  mention.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind,  however,  that  the  lines  should  all 
begin  at  the  same  point  and  end  exactly  on  the 
line  designated  for  their  termination.  The  width  of  the  bar  is 
increased  and  diminished  as  the  case  may  be  by  the  width  of  the 
lines. 


Fig.  130 


Fig.  119 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


1 16 


FINE  LINE  AND  BRIGHT  CUT  OLD  ENGLISH  COMBINED 

A very  neat  effect  can  be  produced  on  polished  surfaces  by 
cutting  the  perpendicular  bars  fine  line  and  the  angular  and  hori- 
zontal bars  with  a flat-face  graver  unpolished,  or  vice  versa.  The 
old  English  fine-line  method  of  cutting  can  also  be  combined  with 
wriggled  old  English  by  cutting  the  perpendicular  bars  one  style 
and  the  horizontal  and  angular  bars  another.  By  making  these 
various  changes  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  a great  variety  of  styles 
of  old  English  can  be  easily  made. 

CUTTING  OLD  ENGLISH  ON  PEARL,  IVORY,  ETC. 

Engravers  are  very  often  asked  to  engrave  old  English  on 
pearl,  ivory,  celluloid,  etc.,  where  it  is  necessary  to  fill  the  same 
with  enamel.  The  method  of  filling  with  enamel  and  the  style  of 
enamel  to  be  used  have  been  mentioned.  The  style  of  cutting  old 
English  for  this  purpose,  it  can  be  seen  very  readily,  could  not  be 
the  regular  bright  cut  or  solid  old  English  style,  as  the  graver 
cutting  a flat,  wide  stroke  would  have  a tendency  to  crumble  or 
crack  the  edges  of  the  incision.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  to 
outline  the  bars  to  be  cut  with  a fine-line  cut  as  deep  as  possible, 
and  then  to  cut  the  surface  between  the  lines  thus  outlined  with  a 
flat-face  graver.  This  will  obviate  the  danger  above  mentioned. 
Some  find  it  convenient  to  engrave  the  old  English  much  coarser 
with  fine  lines,  not  cutting  the  lines  very  close  together  and  then 
digging  it  out  with  a flat-face  graver.  The  former  method  would 
be  more  expensive.  Of  course,  we  could  cut  old  English  on  any 
of  the  materials  above  mentioned  by  cutting  it  fine  line  according 
to  the  method  described  and  illustrated  at  Fig.  ii6.  This  would, 
however,  except  in  a very  elaborate  piece  of  work,  be  too  expensive. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


ROMAN  LETTERS. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  styles  of  letters  to  engrave,  either 
on  card  plate,  steel  die,  silver  or  gold,  is  Roman  letters.  This 
style  of  letter  becomes  fashionable  from  time  to  time  for  calling 
cards,  wedding  announcements,  invitations,  etc.  It  is,  therefore, 
the  duty  of  a skilled  engraver,  and  one  who  would  do  the  work 
with  credit  to  himself,  to  be  master  of  this  style  of  lettering,  not 
only  for  the  reason  that  it  is  sometimes  the  fashionable  style,  but 
also  because  it  is  a class  of  lettering  that  can  be  used  in  connection 
with  general  jewelry  and  silver  engraving  to  the  advantage  of 
the  operator  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owner  of  the  article 
engraved. 

The  most  useful  place  for  Roman  lettering  in  jewelry  engrav- 
ing is  engraving  inscriptions,  in  which  case  the  words  connecting 
lines,  such  as  prepositions  and  conjunctions,  should  be  cut  in  this 
style  of  letter,  because  if  cut  in  script  they  would  occupy  too  much 
space  vertically,  and  if  cut  in  Gothic  or  block  letters  would  be  too 
prominent  for  the  space  occupied,  while  the  Roman  letter  occupies 
a small  space  and  produces  a delicate  and  neat  appearance.  These 
letters  can  be  cut  in  all  the  various  ways  in  which  a flat-face  graver 
can  be  used.  In  other  words,  they  can  be  cut  in  all  the  different 
finishes  that  old  English  can  be  cut  in.  The  first  method  we  will 
mention  will  be  the  bright  cut,  and  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
when  the  words  bright  cut  are  mentioned  we  do  not  mean  that  the 
letters  cut  after  this  method  cannot  be  cut  in  any  other  way  than 
bright  cut.  Whenever  we  describe  a method  of  bright  cutting  it 
must  be  borne  in  mind  that  such  class  of  work  applies  to  deadened 
finishes,  and  if  the  same  class  of  work  is  desired  on  polished  surfaces 
the  method  of  cutting  and  the  tool  used  are  exactly  the  same  except 
that  in  cutting  on  polished  surfaces  the  graver  is  unpolished. 

In  Fig.  1 21  we  have  the  upper  portion  of  the  letters  R,  P and 
complete  B,  the  perpendicular  bars  or  all  bars  of  the  letters,  where 
they  are  the  same  from  beginning  to  end,  being  cut  with  a flat-face 
graver.  That  portion  of  the  bar  shown  at  Fig.  121,  indicated  by 
the  letter  A,  is  cut  either  with  a flat-face  graver  that  cuts  the 


117 


ii8 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


Fig.  131 


perpendicular  strokes  or  it  can  be  cut  with  a square  graver.  It  is 
better,  however,  for  the  beginner  to  use  the  fiat-face  graver  for  this 
purpose,  as  he  will  then  avoid  cutting  the 
stroke  too  wide  or  too  narrow  if  he  will  permit 
the  graver  to  cut  the  maximum  width  at  the 
center  of  the  curve  indicated  by  the  line  C. 
In  cutting  this  line  the  student  will  know, 
from  what  has  been  mentioned  previously  in 
reference  to  the  use  of  the  flat-face  graver, 
that  the  lines  should  all  be  cut  by  curving 
around  to  the  right,  and  that  in  starting  the 
line  a hair  line  the  left  corner  of  the  graver  is  used,  and  as  it  is 
pushed  forward  it  is  gradually  thrown  over  to  increase  the  width  of 
the  incision  as  is  required,  the  diminishing  being  done  by  an  oppo- 
site movement  of  the  graver.  When  the  graver  is  thrown  out  at 
the  point  indicated  by  the  letter  E,  the  flat-face  graver  can  be 
exchanged  for  a square  graver,  and  the  line  continued  to  the  end 
with  a square  graver,  or  the  flat-face  graver  can  be  used  if  the 
operator  prefers. 

Referring  to  Fig.  122  we  have  the  same  stroke  with  the  bar 
swelled  at  the  top,  which  is  the  style  of  these  bars  at  the  top  and 
bottom.  They  can  be  left  as  shown  at  Fig.  121,  in  which  case  the 
work  could  be  done  quicker 
and  easier.  At  Fig.  121A 
we  illustrate  the  bar  with  and 
without  the  swell,  the  arrows 
showing  the  direction  for 
cutting  the  swell  cuts  needed  dX  H H.  However,  when  it  is 
required  to  swell  the  bars,  as  shown  at  Fig.  122,  the  little  strokes 
indicated  by  the  letters  C H cut  with  the  square  graver  in  the 
direction  of  the  arrows,  beginning  the  stroke  on  the  lines  directly 
back  of  them.  The  graver,  in  cutting  this  stroke,  should  be  skill- 
fully wielded  so  that  the  under  side  of  the  graver  will  not  chip  the 
top  line.  There  is  great  danger  of  doing  this  and  thereby  widening 
the  stroke  in  that  particular  place  and  producing  a very  ugly 
appearance.  It  will  be  seen  that  these  little  cuts,  one  only  on  each 
side,  should  curve  very  slightly.  We  sometimes  see  this  class  of 
work  with  the  stroke  swelling  the  bar  simply  chipped  off  on  a 
straight  line.  If  the  engraver  will  observe  the  work  in  our  text 
books  or  on  our  finished  card  plate,  he  will  observe  that  these 


A 


Fig.  131  A 


Fig.  133 


Roman  Letters. 


119 


Fig.  133 


we 


lines  are,  as  they  should  be,  slightly  curved.  Another  difficult 
part  of  this  class  of  Roman  letters  is  shown  at  Fig.  123.  In  cutting 
the  letter  S in  bright  cut,  the  main 
stroke  is  cut  by  making  a roll  cut 
with  a flat-face  graver.  If  fine  line, 
it  is  cut  in  either  of  the  two  methods 
illustrated  at  Fig.  119,  as  previously 
described.  The  end  of  the  bottom 
curve  and  the  beginning  of  the  top 
curve  in  the  letter  S are  difficult  to 
end  satisfactorily.  This  same  style  of 

ending  is  required  in  the  initials  C and  G.  At  A,  Fig.  123, 
show  a straight  bar,  which  is  cut  vertically  at  the  end  of  the  top 
and  bottom  of  the  S,  as  shown  in  the  same  figure  at  the  beginning 
and  ending  of  the  letter.  After  cutting  this  stroke  downward  or 
upward,  it  doesn’t  matter  which,  the  graver  is  placed  at  the  extreme 
lower  point  of  the  bar,  shown  at  B,  and  cut  up  in  the  direction  of 
the  arrow,  which  connects  with  the  main  stroke  of  the  letter.  Then 
the  graver  is  again  placed  at  the  extreme  top  point  of  the  bar,  as 
shown  at  C,  and  cut  downward,  thereby  making  a stroke  in  the 
shape  shown  at  C,  Fig.  123,  which  is  the  shape  of  the  beginning 
and  ending  of  this  letter.  In  cutting  these  strokes  fine  line,  the 
same  method  is  adopted  except  that  it  is  necessary  to  cut  more 
than  one  line  to  make  the  proper  swell. 

In  Fig.  124  we  show  the  flat-face 
graver  in  position  to  cut  the  stroke  at  the 
top  of  the  F,  which  is  a similar  stroke  to 
the  one  in  E,  L,  etc.  In  cutting  this 
stroke  the  graver  is  pushed  forward  and 
gradually  turned  down  from  the  operator, 
thereby  increasing  the  width  of  the  in- 
cision. The  bottom  of  the  E or  L would 
be  cut  in  the  same  way. 

The  middle  stroke  of 
an  E or  an  F is  cut  in  like  manner,  it  being, 
of  course,  necessary  to  cut  in  both  directions. 

At  Eig.  125  we  illustrate  the  method  of 
cutting  this  stroke  in  fine  lines.  The  lines 
should  all  be  cut  down,  each  succeeding  line 
being  shorter  ; then  a line  cut  down  across 


iiMiiliil 


Fig.  135 


120 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


the  extreme  tops  of  these  lines,  as  shown  at  Fig.  126.  These  lines 
are  sometimes  cut  by  beginning  all  at  the  same  point  and  gradually 
swelling  out.  This  produces  a star  effect,  which  is 
entirely  wrong.  For  this  reason  the  engraver  is 
especially  advised  to  follow  the  methods  shown  at 
Figs.  125  and  126.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to 
describe  the  methods  of  wriggling  Roman  letters,  as 
this  class  of  letter  is  very  seldom  cut  in  any  way  other 
than  mentioned.  If,  however,  it  is  desired  to  cut 
them  in  any  other  way,  sufficient  knowledge  of  wriggling  as  applied 


A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

P 

G 

H 

I 

J 

K 

L 

M 

X 

0 

P 

Q 

R 

S 

T 

u 

V 

W 

X 

Y 

z 

& 

1 

2 3 

4 

5 6 

Fig.  136  A 

7 

8 9 

0 

to  old  English  is  known  to  the  student  to  be  able  to  easily  apply  it 
to  this  class  of  letter.  At  Fig.  126A  we  illustrate  the  complete 
Roman  alphabet  and  figures. 


A 


A 


Fig.  136 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


Fig.  137 


ODD  LETTERS. 

At  Fig.  127  we  illustrate  the  word  “ Engrave”  in  the  Japanese 
style  of  lettering.  These  letters  can  be  cut  to  the  best  advantage 
with  a fiat-face  graver,  the  size  of  which  will  depend  upon  the  size 
of  the  letter.  The 
graver  should  be  as 
wide  as  the  widest 
portion  of  the  letter. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the 
letters  are  simply  composed  of  lines  starting  in  a fine  line  and 
ending  up  heavy,  gradually  increasing  from  the  hair  line  to  the  wide 
stroke.  These  and  other  letters  to  follow  under  this  head  are  to 
be  used  in  such  places  as  the  engraver  will  find  that  they  can  be 
used  to  best  advantage.  Of  course,  it  must  be  acknowledged,  and 
the  student  is  advised  that  script  letters  and  old  English  are  the 
styles  used  mostly  by  engravers.  The  class  of  lettering  we  are 
considering  under  this  head  is  seldom  used,  but  a knowledge  of  the 
method  of  cutting  it  will  be  found  very  useful  and  in  some  cases 
valuable.  This  is  especially  true  when  applied  to  lettering  souvenirs 
and  bowls  of  teaspoons,  where  possibly  this  class 
of  lettering  is  most  used.  We  often  find  very  cheap 
napkin  rings,  children’s  cups  and  inexpensive  sou- 
venirs engraved  in  such  letters. 

At  Fig.  128  we  illustrate  a style  of  letter  which 
might  properly  be  called  a piccadilly  letter.  These 
letters  are  composed  of  several  cuts,  one  of  which  is  shown  at  A. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  three  widest  portions  or  the  wide  extremity 
of  the  letters  are  illustrated  at  points  indicated 
by  the  letter  C,  Fig.  128.  This  style  of  letter 
is  very  often  used  by  engravers  in  ornamental 
work.  At  Fig.  1 29  we  have  a block  letter  H,  with 
the  left  half  perfectly  plain  and  the  right  half 
with  the  little  cut,  after  the  style  of  those  which  compose  the  letter 
shown  at  Fig.  128,  added  to  each  of  the  corners  of  the  letter.  The 
arrow  B and  the  cut  directly  under  it  illustrates  the  direction  in 


Fig.  138 


HiE 

Fig.  129 


121 


122 


The  Art  of  Engraving.. 


which  these  cuts  are  made  in  the  lower  right-hand  corner  of  a letter. 
The  cuts  are  made  by  cutting  in  the  extreme  corners  of  all  the 
letters,  allowing  the  graver  to  increase  the  width  of  the  incision  as 
it  advances,  thus  making  the  letters  pointed,  as  shown  in  the  right 
half  of  the  letter  H.  To  complete  the  letter  H in  this  style  would 
necessitate  eight  strokes.  The  E,  same  figure,  would  also  neces- 
sitate eight  strokes.  The  upper  and  lower  left  corners  of  the  letter 
E require  one  cut  only.  This  work  can  be  reduced  by  making  the 
cuts  very  short,  allowing  them  to  protrude  beyond  the  corners  of 
the  letters  only  a very  little,  which  would  make  the  letters,  if  they 
were  very  small,  appear  to  be  very  sharp  and  pointed,  while  if  they 
are  allowed  to  be  drawn  out  farther,  as  shown  in  the  letter  H,  an 
effect  will  be  produced  which  would  change  the  general  appearance 
of  the  letter  radically.  This  method  of  squaring  up  letters  is 
sometimes  used  in  cutting  letters  for  printing  in  order  to  make  the 
corners  very  sharp.  A letter  cut  in  this  style  is  very  useful  for 
prominent  lettering  such  as  would  be  used  on  a dog  collar  or  some 
coarse  piece  of  work.  It  can  be  done  on  very  fine  work,  but  usually 
heavy  lettering  is  not  used  on  that  class  of  work,  unless  it  is 
outlined  and  filled  in. 

At  Fig.  130  we  illustrate  what  is  known  as  a cap  block  letter. 
We  have  already  told  how  to  cut  block  letters  and  all  the  technical 
points  in  connection  therewith.  In  this  illustration  we 

H merely  show  that  these  letters  can  be  changed  in  their 
general  formation  by  adding  a bar  across  the  end  of  the 
bars,  as  shown  here,  and  are  then  known  as  cap  block 
Fig.  130  They  can  be  cut  in  the  various  forms  previously 

mentioned  for  cutting  plain  block  letters,  and  can  also  be  shaded  as 
in  plain  block  letters.  A letter  of  this  kind  on  a coffin  plate  can  be 
engraved  so  as  to  appear  very  showy  and  neat  by  wriggling  the 
vertical  bars  coarse  with  a narrow  graver,  and  with  a wider  graver 
wriggling  the  horizontal  and  angular  bars  very  fine.  Then  add  the 
shade  on  the  lower  right  side. 

At  Fig.  13 1 we  illustrate  the  word  “Harmoniums”  in  a block 
letter  shaded  at  the  top  only.  We  illustrate  this  style  of  letter  to 
show  the  student  how  a slight  shade  will  change  the  position  of  the 
letter.  As  here  seen  the  letters  appear  to  be  tipped  forward  at  the 
top.  The  opposite  effect  would  be  produced  if  the  shading  was 
reversed  and  placed  at  the  bottom.  Letters  to  be  cut  in  this  style 
should  be  designed  and  outlined  very  accurately,  and  then  cross 


Odd  Letters. 


123 


lined  as  here  shown.  The  white  portion  of  the  letter  at  the  top,  it 
is  unnecessary  to  say,  is  not  cut  at  all.  The  dark  showing  between 
the  letters  and  just  above  the  top  of  the  letter  is  made  by  cutting  a 
series  of  fine  lines.  The  ornamental  work  above  the  word,  and  at 


Fig.  131 


the  end,  is  made  with  a square  graver.  In  fact,  the  entire  illus- 
tration is  made  by  a series  of  fine  lines,  all  of  which  is  done  with 
the  one  tool,  the  square  graver.  Such  work  as  this  is  seldom 
practical,  except  in  a very  elaborate  inscription  on  a fine  piece  of 
work,  and  is  referred  to  here  for  the  benefit  of  the  student  from  an 
artistic  standpoint,  showing  him  the  effect  of  shading. 

At  Fig.  132  we  have  the  word  “Homes”  in  a fancy  block 
letter.  Space  would  not  permit,  neither  would  it  be  advisable,  to 
give  many  of  the  styles  of  fancy  block  letters  that  can  be  used. 
The  engraver  will  learn  from 
text  books  and  from  obser- 
vation and  study  of  fine 
specimens  of  engraving  many 
fancy  letters  which  are  the 
result  of  years  of  experi- 
ence of  skilled  artists.  The  letters  at  Fig.  132  will  show  the 
student  that  the  general  form  of  a block  letter  can  be  made  very 
elaborate.  It  will  be  seen  here,  which  is  very  noticeable  in  printing 
from  type,  that  the  spacing  is  not  accurate.  The  space  between  the 
H and  O and  the  O and  M is  noticeably  more  than  the  spacing 
between  the  other  letters.  This  is  necessary,  as  these  letters  were 
printed  from  type.  If  we  were  designing  the  word  we  would  close 
up  the  space  each  side  of  the  O.  This  is  an  advantage  that  the 
engraver  has  over  the  printer,  and  it  is  a point  that  should  be 
considered  very  carefully  by  the  engraver  when  designing.  The 
letters  shown  at  Fig.  132  are  all  cut  with  a square  graver,  with  the 
exception  possibly  of  the  shading  on  the  lower  right  side,  which  is 
done  with  a flat-face  graver  if  cut  bright  cut.  If  cut  on  to  a fine 
piece  of  polished  metal  this  could  be  done  with  a series  of  fine  lines. 


Fig.  132 


124 


The  Art  of  Engravmg. 


At  Fig.  133  we  have  the  same  class  of  ornamental  letter, 
formed  after  the  style  of  Gothic  letters.  This  illustration  is  given 

to  show  the  student  that 
almost  any  kind  of  letter 
can  be  applied  to  the  forms 
of  the  various  alphabets. 

At  Fig.  134  we  illustrate  what  is  known  as  French  script.  This 
style  of  letter  is  nearly  vertical,  and  is  formed  after  the  style  of  the 
round-hand  script  and  is  used  quite  extensively  in  printing.  We 
show  these  letters  here,  not  to  encourage  the  student  in  the  use  of 
this  style  of  script,  but  as  an  aid  in  cutting  them.  These  letters 


cWoedi 


itatiortD 


Fig.  134 


can  all  be  cut  with  a square  graver  after  the  method  of  the  regular 
script  letters.  It  is  very  often  the  case  that  a beginner,  when  he 
has  a piece  of  work  to  do  that  differs  from  the  regular  style  with 
which  he  is  familiar,  uses  the  wrong  graver  and  does  not  cut  the 
letters  properly.  It  is  for  the  correction  of  such  possible  errors 
that  we  advise  that  the  same  should  be  cut  with  a square  graver  and 
after  the  method  of  the  regular  script. 

At  Fig.  135  we  illustrate  the  word  “ Cruiser”  in  a style  known 
as  italics.  This  class  of  letters,  which  is  familiar  to  all  students  in 
lettering  and  can  be  found  in  text  books,  is  useful  in  engraving  the 
prepositions  and  conjunctions  and  connecting 
letters  in  inscriptions,  etc.  Some  engravers 
use  this  style  of  lettering  quite  extensively.  ' 

It  is  seldom  practicable,  but  it  is  sometimes 

necessary  to  either  reproduce  some  work  or  execute  it  according  to 
directions,  in  which  case  our  judgment  cannot  be  exercised.  For 
the  benefit  of  those  who  have  this  class  of  lettering  to  do  we  would 
say  that  the  general  method  of  cutting  it  is  the  same  as  for  script 
except  the  capitals,  which  are  practically  the  Roman  letters,  and  a 
description  of  which  has  previously  been  given.  These  letters  can 
be  either  bright  cut  or  fine  line,  and  can  be  ornamented  by  making 
little  cuts  each  side  of  the  letter. 


Odd  Letters. 


125 


At  Fig.  136  we  illustrate  the  block  letters  shaded  by  a series 
of  fine  lines  on  the  lower  right  side.  These  lines,  it  will  be  seen, 
do  not  come  up  to  the  main  stroke,  which 
can  either  be  cut  bright  cut  or  fine  line. 

By  not  permitting  the  hair  lines  to  come 
up  to  the  main  bar  we  leave  a prominent 
line  of  surface  along  the  edge,  the  effect 

of  which,  as  will  be  seen  here,  is  such  as  to  increase  the  promi- 
nence of  the  letter. 

At  Fig.  137  we  have  just  the  reverse  of  Fig.  136.  In  Fig.  137 
we  have  a block-shaded  line,  which  can  be  easily  made  by  cutting 
bright  cut  or  fine  line  and  the  surface  of  the  letters  cross  lined. 

Figs.  136  and  137  show  the  stu- 


mm 


IM 


Fig.  131 


dent  how  radically  the  cutting  of 
letters  can  be  changed  in  prac- 
tically the  same  form. 

At  Fig.  138  we  illustrate  a 
bar  of  music.  The  object  of  presenting  this  to  the  student’s  consid- 
eration is  that  it  is  often  required  of  an  engraver  to  engrave  a bar 
of  music  on  to  a watch  case.  We  have  had  in  the  first  part 
of  this  work  sufficient  instruction  in  reference  to  mechanical  draw- 
ing to  show  us  the  correct  method  of  procedure  in  laying  out 
the  horizontal  bars  for  this  work.  The  heavy  bars  should  be  cut 


Fig.  138 


with  a flat-face  graver,  the  fine  horizontal  bars  with  a square  graver 
and  the  oblong  dots  on  the  notes  are  made  with  a round-face 
graver.  The  round-face  graver  can  be  used  in  such  a way  as  to  cut 
a round  dot  or  an  oblong  one.  In  the  latter  case  the  graver  should 
not  be  inserted  as  deeply  in  the  metal.  The  dots  between  the 
notes  are  made  with  a round-face  graver.  The  little  crescent  cuts 
and  bars  at  the  left  of  the  notes  are  cut  with  a fiat-face  graver. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  same  are  pointed  at  the  beginning  and  end 
up  wider  on  the  horizontal  line.  This  is  done,  as  described  for 
beginning  the  vertical  bar  of  bright-cut  old  English,  by  beginning 
on  one  point  of  the  graver  and  gradually  turning  it  down  until 
the  full  width  of  same  is  reached. 


126 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


At  Fig.  139  we  illustrate  some  Hebrew  letters.  It  is  very 
often  required  of  an  engraver  to  engrave  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters 
on  to  various  articles  for  presentation,  and  the  engraver  often  being 
unfamiliar  with  such  letters  has  to  depend  upon  the  rough  drawing 
that  may  be  submitted  to  him  by  the  customer.  All  engravers 

DN1  iiN 

Fig.  139 


should  supply  themselves  with  text  books,  so  that  they  may  know 
the  exact  form  of  any  style  of  letter.  Type  books  are  easily 
obtainable  from  printers,  and  alphabets  of  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters 
can  be  found  made  in  their  exact  form.  If  the  engraver  has  such  a 
book  he  can  easily  submit  it  to  the  customer  and  have  him  point 
out  the  letters  which  he  wishes  used.  The  cutting  of  these  letters 
would  be  done,  as  here  shown,  with  a fiat-face  graver  or  by  cutting 
fine  lines.  If  cut  with  a fiat-face  graver  their  form  is  such  that 
instructions  given  for  cutting  similar  bars  in  old  English  letters 
would  suffice  for  cutting  these. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


ENGRAVING  IN  SPOONS  AND  ON  BANGLES. 

At  Fig.  140  we  illustrate  a style  of  block  letter  used  quite 
extensively  for  engraving  or  etching  the  bowls  of  teaspoons.  These 
letters  are  simply  the  invention  of  the  engraver,  who  makes  the 
letters  any  style  and  form  to  suit  his  artistic  eye  and  any  space 
in  which  the  word  is  to  be  en- 
graved. Of  course,  the  general 
form  of  the  letter  must  follow  a 
certain  style,  the  style  followed  in 
this  case  being,  as  above  stated, 
block  or  Gothic.  A letter  cut  in 
this  style  could  be  either  bright 
cut  with  a round-face  graver  or  wriggled  with  a flat-face  graver,  and 
then  bright  cut  along  the  lower  right  side,  the  appearance  of  which 
would  be  very  effective  if  the  bowl  of  the  teaspoon  were  satin  finish, 
gold  plated.  Fancy  script  letters  with  a very  large  capital  designed 
in  scroll  shape,  after  the  form  of  those  mentioned  in  our  description 
of  script  letters,  are  also  used,  but  heavier  letters  are  usually  desired. 
The  same  class  or  style  of  lettering  could  also  be  used  for  etching. 
This  one  style  of  lettering  is  not  given  to  the  student  for  him  to 
follow  at  all  times.  It  is  simply  given  to  show  a form  of  letter  that 
can  be  used,  and  the  student  must  know  that  many  changes  can  be 
made,  and  should  be  made,  as  the  case  would  require,  he  using 
regular  block  or  Gothic  letters  as  a general  form. 

To  hold  a spoon  while  en- 
graving is  not  an  easy  matter 
for  some  engravers.  We, 
therefore,  illustrate  at  Fig.  141 
a block  of  wood  with  a spoon 
thereon.  A block  of  wood  a 
very  little  larger  than  the  bowl  of  the  spoon  and  about  half  an  inch 
thick  can  be  used,  in  the  top  of  which  is  carved  or  burned  a hole 
the  form  of  the  back  of  the  teaspoon,  so  that  when  the  spoon  is 
placed  into  it  the  edge  of  the  teaspoon  bowl  comes  even  with  the 
surface  of  the  block  or  a trifle  above  it.  It  is  not  necessary  that 


127 


128 


The  Art  of  Eyigraving. 


the  hole  in  the  top  of  the  block  should  be  very  deep,  neither  is  it 
necessary  that  it  be  the  exact  form  of  the  bowl,  because  wax  is  put 
into  it  and  then  the  bowl  of  the  teaspoon  is  heated,  which  spreads 
the  wax  around  in  the  hole  and  fills  up  any  of  the  crevices  that  may 
be  deeper  than  others  and  makes  the  foundation  the  exact  form  of 
the  bowl.  To  engrave  a bowl  of  a teaspoon  it  is  placed  on  this 
block,  the  bowl  being  slightly  heated  and  forced  down  on  to  the 
wax.  After  it  is  allowed  to  cool  the  bowl  is  covered  with  the 
transfer  wax  and  then  the  words  sketched  in  and  cut  through  the 
wax,  unless  the  work  is  very  fine,  in  which  case  the  design  could 
be  first  sketched  on,  then  scratched  on  very  carefully,  and  then  the 
wax  rubbed  off,  leaving  the  graver  only  the  smooth  polished  surface 
to  work  on.  It  is  seldom,  however,  that  a piece  of  work  in  the 
bowl  of  a teaspoon  is  so  fine  that  this  method  is  adopted.  You  can 
usually  engrave  through  your  wax,  the  coating  of  which  should  be 
very  even  and  thin. 

Etching  the  bowl  of  a teaspoon  is  done  by  painting  around  the 
letters  wfith  a fine  camel’s  hair  brush  in  the  bowl  of  the  spoon  or  on 
the  bowl  of  the  spoon  as  the  case  may  be,  with  asphaltum  varnish, 
one  of  the  cheapest  grades  of  varnish.  After  the  letters  have  been 
painted  on  in  some  odd  style,  as  has  been  described,  a heavier 
brush  is  used  for  painting  the  back  of  the  bowl  and  up  on  the 
handle  as  far  as  necessary  to  insure  the  acid  not  running  on  to  it  and 
along  the  edges  of  the  spoon  in  an  irregular  way  down  nearly  to 
the  letters  forming  the  word,  thus  leaving  in  the  letter  space  the 
original  surface  of  the  spoon.  It  is  now  dipped  into  a bottle  of 
one-fourth  nitric  acid  and  three-fourths  water.  This  composition 
will  eat  the  silver  where  it  is  not  protected  by  the  asphaltum 
varnish  quite  rapidly,  and  will  leave  a soft  deadened  finish.  The 
time  required  for  etching  the  proper  depth  is  a difficult  matter  to 
decide.  The  best  way  to  learn  is  by  experience.  If  the  point  of 
the  stylus  is  placed  on  the  extreme  edge  of  the  letter  and  then 
allowed  to  drop  off,  one  can  tell  if  the  letters  are  sufficiently  deep. 
It  is  not  necessary  for  the  acid  to  eat  very  deep  around  the  letters. 
Just  little  more  than  is  necessary  to  deaden  the  finish  of  the  article  is 
all  that  is  actually  required.  After  the  spoon  has  been  subjected  to 
the  acid  a sufficient  time  to  allow  it  to  eat  in  the  proper  depth,  it  is 
washed  off  in  water  to  remove  any  acid,  after  which  it  is  washed 
in  turpentine.  Onlv  a small  quantity  of  turpentine  will  be  necessary 
if  it  is  put  in  the  bowl  of  the  teaspoon,  the  latter  being  then  rubbed 


Engraving  hi  Spoons  and  on  Bangles. 


129 


vigorously  with  the  finger,  after  which  the  spoon  bowl  can  be 
polished  on  the  back  and  a very  little  in  the  bowl.  The  effect  of 
work  done  in  this  way  is  very  artistic,  leaving  the  letters  apparently 
embossed  or  raised  above  the  surface  of  the  background  and  thus 
very  prominent,  the  prominence  being  increased  by  the  fact  that 
the  surface  of  the  letter  and  the  background  are  of  an  entirely 
different  color,  one  being  highly  polished  and  the  other  a deadened 
finish.  Etching  on  steel  can  be  done  in  the  same  way.  It  will  be 
found,  however,  that  acid  diluted  slightly  more  than  for  silver  would 
be  necessary. 


BORDERS  FOR  BANGLES,  ETC. 

At  Fig.  142  we  illustrate  a very  common  border  for  medals, 
bangles  and  bars  for  medals,  etc.  This  border  is  cut  by  first 
engraving  two  lines  parallel  with  each  other,  the  distance  apart  to 
be  gaged  by  the  size  of  the  border  wanted. 

The  wriggling  in  between  the  lines  indicated 
by  the  initial  E should  be  so  done  as  to  allow 
the  outer  edge  of  the  flat-face  graver  to  just 
touch  the  outside  line  and  the  left  side  of  the 
graver  to  just  come  up  to  the  inside  line.  The 
wriggling  should  be  done  very  uniformly, 
leaving  the  spaces  indicated  by  A and  B exactly 
the  same  size.  Lines  C and  D can  be  wrig- 
gled with  the  round-face  graver  after  they  have  been  cut  with  the 
square  graver,  if  so  desired.  This  method  would  elaborate  the 
border.  The  spaces  A and  B are  cut  with  a flat-face  graver  starting 
at  the  point  of  intersection  of  the  wriggled  stroke  and  the  outside 
circle,  and  as  the  graver  is  pushed  forward  it  is  turned  down  so  as 
to  widen  the  incision  until  the  widest  part  of  the 
space  is  reached,  and  from  that  point  to  the  end 
of  the  space  the  graver  is  gradually  raised  up, 
thus  decreasing  the  width  of  the  incision. 

At  Fig.  143  we  illustrate  still  another  style 
of  border,  the  general  method  of  cutting  it 
being  the  same.  The  lines  G and  H are  first 
cut,  as  in  the  case  of  the  border  shown  at 
Fig.  142,  and  can  either  be  left  a heavy  hair  line  or  can  be 
wriggled  as  the  engraver  prefers.  The  space  E is  cut  out  with  a 
flat-face  graver,  as  described  for  cutting  out  the  spaces  A and  B^ 


130 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


in  Fig.  142.  The  space  J on  the  outside  of  the  wriggling  can  be 
filled  in  by  adding  a different  style  of  ornament  made  by  three 
strokes  of  the  square  graver,  as  at  K,  Fig.  143,  or  it  can  be  cut  out 
with  a square  graver,  beginning  at  the  intersection  of  the  wriggled 
stroke  and  the  outside  circle  and  cutting  half  of  the  space  out  one 
way,  then  throw  the  graver  out  and  begin  on  the  opposite  side  and 
cut  the  other  half  out.  The  wriggling  in  this  case  should  be 
executed  with  great  accuracy,  as  a poorly-wriggled  border  or 
poor  wriggling  in  any  place  produces  a very  bad  appearance,  while 
very  accurate  wriggling  is  very  artistic  and  produces  the  effect  that 
is  desired  in  case  of  a fancy  piece  of  engraving,  such  as  borders. 
The  graver,  in  cutting  this  border,  is  started  on  the  inside  line, 
cutting  the  crescent-shaped  cut  ; as  the  graver  arrives  at  the  inside 
circle  on  the  return,  after  making  the  first  wriggled  crescent,  it  is 
turned,  in  order  to  start  for  the  next  trip,  on  the  right  corner  of  the 
graver.  By  doing  this  the  graver  is  in  the  correct  position  to  start 
for  the  next  curve,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  remove  it  from  the  metal  at  all  until  the  entire  wriggling  is 
completed. 

At  Fig.  144  we  illustrate  what  is  known  as  the  fan  border. 
This  is  made  by  wriggling  a half  circle,  shown  at  A,  with  a flat-face 
graver.  We  first  cut  two  lines  parallel  to  each  other,  either  straight 
or  in  a circle  as  the  case  may  require.  Then  starting 
the  graver,  as  shown  at  M,  Fig.  144,  the  graver  is 
operated  as  it  is  in  regular  wriggling,  with  the 
exception  that  the  left  corner  of  the  graver  remains 
in  the  same  place  all  the  time.  In  other  words, 
it  acts  as  a pivot  for  the  revolution  of  the  rem.aining 
portion  of  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver.  As  the 
graver  is  wriggled  the  article  is  turned  in  the  hand  very  uniformly, 
because  if  it  is  turned  too  rapidly  or  too  slowly  the  wriggling  will 
be  irregular.  Of  course,  the  wriggling  appears  to  be  irregular  in 
our  illustration,  as  these  illustrations  are  made  with  pen  and  ink, 
and  it  is  quite  impossible  to  reproduce  the  effect  as  accurate 
as  it  would  be  if  engraved  on  the  metal.  This  border  is  one  of  the 
most  fancy  borders  that  can  be  engraved  cheaply.  It  requires 
some  skill  to  do  it  to  the  best  advantage,  but  a little  practice  will 
enable  the  student  to  engrave  these  fan  cuts  very  accurately.  The 
little  space  left  between  the  tops  of  the  fan  cuts  near  the  outside 
circle  can  be  filled  in  by  making  a double  cut,  cutting  from  top  of 


Engravhig  in  Spoons  a?id  on  Bangles.  13  [ 

each  one  towards  the  center  of  the  space  with  a flat-face  graver. 
This,  however,  is  not  necessary  as  the  work  looks  quite  complete 
as  here  shown. 

At  Fig.  145  we  illustrate  a style  of  border  made  by  wriggling 
the  same,  as  shown  at  Fig.  144,  with  the  exception  that  the 
wriggled  cuts  are  made  all  round  instead  of  half  round.  The 
method  of  doing  this  work  is  to  place  the  left 
point  of  the  flat-face  graver  midway  between 
the  circles.  Of  course,  it  is  to  be  understood 
that  the  graver  is  to  be  half  the  width  of  the 
parallel  lines.  When  the  graver  is  properly 
placed,  as  shown  at  M,  Fig.  145,  the  left  corner 
of  the  graver  remains  as  a pivot,  and  the  graver 
is  rocked  back  and  forward  as  the  article  is 
turned,  which  will  produce  a wriggled  or  wheel  effect,  as  shown  at 
Fig.  145.  The  space  between  the  cuts  thus  made  on  the  outside 
and  inside  can  be  filled  in  by  making  the  chop  cuts,  or  they  can  be 
left  perfectly  plain.  Of  course,  it  will  be  understood  that  these 
little  wheel  cuts  will  just  touch  one  another.  The  position  of  the 
graver  N shows  how  the  spacing  is  measured.  The  right  corner 
of  the  graver  being  placed  at  the  left  extremity  of  the  last  wheel 
cut,  the  position  for  the  center  of  the  next  wheel  is  easily  located. 
The  graver  is  then  started  in  that  position  and  wriggled  around, 
and  the  measuring  for  all  other  cuts  is  the  same. 

It  is  often  difficult  for  beginners  to  end  up  any  of  the  borders 
above  described  properly.  They  will  find  that,  as  they  near  the 
completion  of  the  border,  they  will  lack  a little  of  coming  up  to  the 
first  one  started,  or  they  will  not  have  room  for  the  last  one.  Of 
course,  it  is  not  practical  to  design  such  borders.  They  should  be 
cut  by  eye  only,  and  even  when  learning  the  student  should  practice 
the  work  without  designs,  in  which  case,  of  course,  his  inexperi- 
enced and  untrained  eye  will  lead  him  to  the  difficulties  above 
mentioned,  while  the  experienced  engraver,  as  he  nears  the  comple- 
tion of  the  border,  will  observe  by  his  accurate  eye  that  he  can 
place  a certain  number  more  of  the  ornaments  by  either  closing  up 
the  space  a very  little  or  lengthening  it  out  a very  little.  We  do 
not  mean  that  the  student  infer  from  this  remark  that  an  engraver 
should  do  his  work  so  irregularly  that  such  would  be  necessary. 
Yet,  it  not  being  practical  to  measure  mechanically  and  figure  the 
number  that  we  can  put  in,  we  must  arrange  them  artistically,  and  a 


32 


The  Art  of  E7igraving . 


Fig.  146 


slight  closing  up  or  drawing  out  of  the  lines  would  not  show,  as 
the  change  necessary  to  make  such  a completion,  either  one  way  or 
the  other,  would  be  so  very  little  that  it  would  not  be  noticed. 

At  Fig.  146  we  illustrate  a style  of  border  that  is  also  used  for 
filling  in  letters.  This  style  of  border  is  one  used  probably  more 
than  any  other  by  engravers.  In  fact,  very  few  engravers  who  have 
any  knowledge  of  engraving  whatever  in  the  orna- 
mental line,  are  unacquainted  with  this  style  of 
^ border.  The  graver,  as  shown,  is  in  position  for 
cutting  outside  cuts,  the  flat-face  graver  being 
placed  with  the  left  corner  on  the  outside  line  in 
position  to  make  the  cut.  The  graver  is  tipped  up 
on  the  left  corner  and  pushed  forward  in  position,  as 
here  shown,  to  the  maximum  width  of  the  incision, 
when  it  is  thrown  out.  and  then  the  next  stroke  back  of  it  is  made, 
remembering  to  cut  toward  the  finished  work  all  the  time.  By 
cutting  in  this  way  we  mean  to  have  the  finished  work  always  in 
front  of  the  graver. 

Some  beginners  will  cut  these  strokes  so  as  to  leave  the 
finished  work  back  under  the  graver.  This  is  wrong,  as  the  length 
of  the  cut  thus  made  is  not  visible,  and  it  should  be  and  will  be  if 
cut  in  the  position  shown  at  Fig.  146.  After  the  cuts  are  made 
with  the  graver  all  the  way  around  the  circle,  as  shown  at  S,  it  is 
again  placed  in  the  metal  in  the  position  shown  at  R,  and  a little  cut 
made  from  the  inside  circle.  It  will  be  seen  that  these  cuts,  W and 
T,  are  made  by  beginning  the  inside  one  where  the  outside  one  left 
off,  thus  leaving  an  irregular  surface  on  the  metal  between  the  guide 
lines.  These  guide  lines  are,  of  course,  cut  with  a square  graver, 
and  are  heavy  enough  to  be  used  as  a guide  for  the  flat-face  graver 
in  cutting  the  little  cuts  only.  The  point  of  the  flat-face  graver 
should  very  accurately  follow  the  guide  line  or  guide-line  cut. 

At  X and  Fi  Fig.  146,  we  illustrate  another  method  of  cutting 
this  border,  which  produces  a similar  effect,  except  that  the  entire 
surface  is  cut  away.  The  method  of  cutting  is  exactly  the  same, 
with  the  exception  that  the  cuts  are  made  so  wide 
that  they  come  together,  leaving  no  space  between 
them. 

In  Fig  147  we  show  at  ^ a very  simple  style  of 
border  for  cheap  work,  with  dots  between  the  guide 
lines,  which  lines  are  cut  with  a square  graver.  Fig.  147 


Engi'civing  in  Spoons  and  on  Bangles. 


133 


These  guide  lines  can  be  wriggled  with  a narrow  flat-face  graver,  or 
with  a round-face  graver  if  desired.  At  B,  same  figure,  we  illus- 
trate still  another  style  of  border  by  making  five  dots,  one  large  in 
the  center  and  four  small  ones  situated  above  and  below  and  on  the 
right  and  left  sides. 

At  D we  illustrate  the  cut  shown  at  Fig.  146,  with  the  dot  in 
between  the  two  cuts.  This  style  of  border  is  very  artistic  when 
accurately  executed.  At  A,  same  figure,  we  illustrate  a style  of 
border  by  cutting  a chop  cut  in  both  directions  between  right  and 
left,  and  adding  a dot  with  a round-face  graver  between  the  extreme 
points  of  the  cuts. 

At  Fig.  148  we  illustrate  one  of  the  most  difficult  and  beautiful 
borders  that  is  cut  ordinarily  by  the  engraver.  This  style  of  border 
is  known  as  the  diamond  border,  as  the  cuts  are  made 
with  the  graver  so  as  to  leave  the  surface  between 
the  guide  lines  in  the  form  of  a diamond.  The  graver 
K is  shown  in  position  for  making  the  first  cut.  After 
the  cut  is  made  with  the  graver  it  is  reversed  and 
placed  in  an  opposite  position  and  the  stroke  cut 
down  over  the  first  one.  The  graver  in  position  for 
cutting  this  second  stroke  is  shown  at  H.  It  will  be 
seen  that  it  is  necessary  to  cut  these  cuts  both  ways, 
both  on  the  outside  and  inside,  which,  of  course,  necessitates  a 
large  amount  of  work,  but  when  the  border  is  done,  if  the  little 
diamonds  are  all  exactly  the  same  size  and  shape,  the  engraver  will 
see  that  he  has  been  well  paid  for  his  effort.  As  above  stated,  this 
border  requires  some  skill,  but  it  is  used  extensively,  and  the 
student  should  thoroughly  master  it. 


Fig.  148 


CHAPTER  XXL 


SHADED  OLD  ENGLISH, 

Shaded  old  English  is  probably  not  used  by  the  engraver  as 
much  at  the  present  time  as  it  was  formerly,  or  previous  to  the 
popular  style  of  fine-line  old  English  coming  so  prominently  in 
vogue.  We  have  described  the  method  of  shading  block  letters 
and  of  shading  wriggled  old  English,  which  in  cheap  work  has 
largely  taken  the  place  of  regular  shaded  old  English. 

What  is  known  as  shaded  old  English  is  a method  of  cutting 
old  English  by  outlining  the  main  bars  of  the  letter  and  filling  in 
between  said  outlines  ornamental  cuts.  The  lower  right  side  or 
upper  right  side  of  each  bar  of  the  letter  is  shaded.  We  will  first 
start  shading  these  lines  with  a flat-face  graver  bright  cut. 

At  Fig.  149  we  illustrate  the  graver  E in  position  to  cut  the 
It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  right  corner  of  the 
flat-face  graver  is  used,  and  that  by  using  said 
corner  and  inclining  the  graver  in  the  position 
here  shown,  the  incline  of  the  incision  when  com- 
plete will  be  toward  the  bar  of  the  letter  which  is 
the  correct  angle  of  the  incision  in  a shaded  letter, 
it  matters  not  whether  in  monogram,  fancy  or 
plain  letters.  Some  space  was  given  to  this  sub- 
ject of  shading  correctly  in  a former  chapter,  and 
those  who  have  followed  our  instructions  are 
thoroughly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  shading  in 
this  way,  and  will  make  no  errors  in  its  execution. 

The  graver  F is  shown  in  position  to  cut  the 
shade  stroke  B.  The  graver,  as  here  shown,  is 
in  position  to  use  the  opposite  point  from  the  one 
shown  at  the  bottom  of  the  letter  at  E.  This 
change  is  necessary  in  order  to  incline  the  incision  of  the  bar  of  the 
letter.  In  cutting  the  shade  stroke  A in  the  middle  bar  of  the 
letter,  if  cutting  it  from  the  top  down,  the  left  corner  of  the  graver 
will  be  used.  If  cutting  from  the  base  upward  the  right  corner  of 
the  graver  will  be  used,  thus  inclining  the  incision  toward  the 
bottom.  After  the  shading  has  been  completed  the  hair  lines  on 


shade  stroke  C. 


134 


Shaded  Old  Eriglish. 


135 


& H 


Fig.  150 


left  of  same  or  all  the  hair  lines  of  the  letter  are  cut  with  a square 
graver^  if  a small  letter.  If  a large  letter  the  flat-face  graver  could 
be  used  for  hair  lines  also,  but  there  is  no  objection  to  using  the 
square  graver.  In  fact,  it  is  preferable,  as  it  is  much  more  conve- 
nient for  cutting  such  lines.  After  the  hair  lines  are  thus  cut  a hair 
line  along  the  extreme  edge  of  the  surface  of  the  bar  just  inside  of 
the  shade  stroke,  is  cut  with  the  square  graver.  This  line  trues  up 
and  sharpens  up  the  shade  stroke  along  the  surface  of  the  metal  on 
the  inside  of  the  bar. 

At  Fig.  150  we  illustrate  different  styles  of  filling  for  old 
English  letters.  The  style,  however,  shown  at  E and  A,  are  the 
most  common  and  usually  preferable,  especially  if  plain  old  English 
letters  are  used.  The  other  styles  of  fillings  are 
so  near  what  has  been  mentioned,  in  reference  to 
borders,  etc.,  that  special  mention  of  them  is 
not  necessary,  except  the  scroll  work  shown  at 
the  bottom  of  the  bar  F.  This  work  is  quite 
elaborate  and  is  made  by  a series  of  scrolls,  the 
main  scroll  being  slightly  heavier  than  the  others 
and  cut  dov/n  through  the  center,  and  then  the 
other  little  curves  inside  and  outside  of  the  same 
are  added.  Just  where  shaded  old  English  should  be  used  is 
difficult  to  say.  Probably  the  most  usual  place  for  the  use  of 
old  English  is  in  ordinary  engraving,  as  in  coffin  plates.  However, 
we  have  mentioned  a method  of  shading  wriggled  old  English  for 
that  purpose,  which  can  be  done  much  easier.  It  would  hardly  be 
practicable  to  engrave  shaded  old  English  on  a watch  cap.  Just 
what  style  of  shaded  old  English  to  use  it  is  difficult  to  say.  There 
are  a number  of  text  books  giving  the  forms  of  old  English  letters, 
and  the  type  book  previously  mentioned  will  show  a number  of 
different  styles,  many  of  which,  of  course,  would  not  be  practical  in 

engraving.  The  plain  style 
vr  of  old  English  letters,  a 

complete  alphabet  of  which 
we  have  illustrated  for 
bright-cut  old  English,  is 
preferred.  This  form  of 
letter  can  be  cut  by  the  shaded  or  outlined  old  English  method  as 
well  as  by  any  other.  To  give  the  student  an  idea  of  the  various 
styles  of  shaded  old  English,  we  illustrate  one  style  at  Eig.  151. 


The  Art  of  Engraving, 


136 


Fig.  153 


Fig.  153 


These  capitals  are  slightly  ornamented  and  the  shading  is  on  the 
lower  left  side  instead  of  being  on  the  right  side. 

At  Fig.  152  we  illustrate  a style  of 
letter  formed  after  the  old  English  style. 
This  is  shown  merely  to  illustrate  to  the 
student  how  old  English  can  be  converted 
into  practically  a different  style  of  letter. 

At  Fig.  153  we  illustrate  still  another  form  of  shading  of 
old  English  showing  the  cross  line  finished.  At  Eig.  154 we  illus- 
trate still  another  style.  This 
style  of  old  English  can  be 
made  by  cutting  the  main  bars 
of  the  letters  with  the  flat-face 
graver  or  with  fine  lines,  and 
the  fine-line  shades  shown  at  the  lower  right  of  the  letter  should  be 

cut  with  a square  graver. 
The  ornamental  work  around 
the  capital  P is  also  done  with 
a square  graver.  It  will  be 
seen  here  that  this  work  is 
very  delicately  and  accurately 
executed,  which  is  the  form 
that  should  be  followed  by  the  beginner. 

At  Fig.  155  we  illustrate  a style  of  cutting  old  English  which 
is  rather  difficult  and  not  much  practiced  in  ordinary  bright  cutting. 
The  method  of  cutting  this 
style  of  letter  is  to  cut  that 
portion  of  the  letter  between 
the  outside  lines  with  a nar- 
row flat-face  graver  or  to  cut 
three  or  four  fine  lines  very  close  together,  and  then  to  cut  a fine 
line  for  the  outside  lines  an  equal  distance  from  the  shade  thus  cut. 

It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  bars 
of  the  letter  where  connecting 
J1  II  2.re  rounding  instead  of  forming 
sharp  corners  as  in  most  of  the 
old  English.  This  is  a charac- 
teristic feature  of  the  German  text  letter,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  156. 

At  157  we  illustrate  a style  of  shading  old  English,  the  letters 
being  drawn  out  so  as  to  fill  the  space  horizontally  if  the  space  is 


Fig.  154 


Fig. 150 


Shaded  Old  English, 


137 


long  and  the  word  short.  At  Fig.  158  is  illustrated  the  opposite 
style,  the  letters  being  tall  and  slim.  This  style  of  letter  repre- 


rig. 157 


sents  fine  line  or  bright-cut  work,  while  the  more  prominent  letters 
can  be  used  in  shaded  old  English.  Shaded  old  English  capitals 
can  be  made  very  elaborate. 


Fig.  158 


At  Fig.  159  we  illustrate  the  capital  A,  with  ornamental  work 
in  and  around  the  letter.  This  class  of  work  is  more  elaborate  than 
is  usually  required  in  engraving,  yet  it  shows  the  student  how  the 
style  of  letter  can  be  changed,  and  yet  show  that  it  was  taken  from 
some  particular  style  of  alphabet. 


Fig.  159  Fig.  160  Fig.  161  Fig.  163 


At  Fig.  i6o  we  show  another  ornamental  letter,  still  more 
elaborately  filled  in  and  around.  At  Figs.  i6i  and  162  we  show 
two  other  styles  of  old  English  letters,  the  idea  of  filling  in 
and  around  the  letter  in  this  manner  being  to  elaborate  a single 
letter  where  but  one  is  required,  and  to  fill  in  the  space  above  and 
below  it. 


138  The  Art  of  Engraving. 

At  Figs.  163  and  164  we  illustrate  two  other  styles  of  letters, 
with  more  work  on  the  letters  and  less  around  them.  These  styles 

of  letters  will  be  good  for  the  student 
to  practice,  as  they  will  help  to  broaden 
his  views  as  to  the  scope  of  the  work. 
It  would  not  be  practical  for  us  to  illus- 
trate all  the  various  styles  of  alphabets 
or  even  the  old  English  styles ; nor  to 
illustrate  all  the  different  styles  of  orna- 
ments and  ornamental  work,  nor  would 
it  be  practical  for  an  engraver  to  cut 
them.  Ordinarily,  for  an  elaborate  letter,  an  old  English  letter 
with  a little  work  around  it,  beautifully  cut,  is  all  that  is  required 
of  the  engraver. 


ORNAMENTAL  SCROLLS,  ETC. 

The  engraver  will  be  called  upon  to  ornament  the  ends  of 
words,  inscriptions,  etc.,  or  above  and  below  the  letters,  and  to 
assist  them  in  this  class  of  work  we  illustrate  at  Fig.  165  a few 


ornamental  cuts,  which  can  be  used  for  the  purpose.  The  method 
of  cutting  such  ornaments  will  be  readily  understood  by  those  who 
followed  our  instructions.  The  square  graver  is  used  mostly  for 
this  class  of  work. 


Shaded  Old  English. 


139 


At  Fig.  166  we  show  some  styles  of  ornaments  that  can  be 
used  in  and  around  letters,  words,  etc.  These  ornaments  are  very 
easy  to  cut,  and  will  be  found  very  useful  in  ornamentation. 


Fig.  166 


At  Fig.  167  we  illustrate  a plate  of  ornamental  work  to  be 
used  for  inscriptions,  in  and  around  words,  above  and  below  and  at 


• — S S — • "b  ~)^ 


"56^ 


Fig.  167 


140  The  Art  of  Ejigraving. 

the  sides  of  fancy  letters,  such  as  above  described.  Ornaments  of 
this  kind,  when  properly  placed  and  very  delicately  and  accurately 
cut,  add  ver}^  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  work,  but  if  they  are  cut 
irregularly  and  too  heavy  they  only  detract  from  it. 


A FAVORITE  STYLE  OF  SHADED  OLD  ENGLISH. 

At  Figs.  168  and  169  we  illustrate  a favorite  style  of  shaded 
old  English,  suitable  for  calling  cards,  wedding  invitations,  etc., 

and  the  correct  proportions  of  the 
lower-case  letters  and  the  capitals. 
It  will  be  noticed  here  that  the 
lower-case  letters  are  about  one-half  the  height  of  the  capitals,  and 
that  the  style  of  letter  varies  somewhat  from  the  form  of  the  old 
English  plate  that  we  have  illustrated  complete.  Yet  the  changes 


tit  ^tiMx 

Fig.  169 

are  so  slight  and  the  relative  proportions  so  little  changed  that  the 
student  would  find  little  difficulty  in  executing  this  style  and 
adapting  to  it  the  complete  alphabet  which  we  have  illustrated  for  a 
general  form  of  the  letter.  This  style  of  old  English  can  be  shaded 
by  bright  cutting,  or  by  cutting  the  shade  strokes  by  making  several 
fine  lines  very  close  together  to  take  the  place  of  the  one  bright-cut 
stroke.  The  lines  filling  in  between  the  shade  stroke  and  the  hair 
lines  should  be  cut  horizontally,  as  in  illustrations  given. 

This  style  and  this  angle  are  those  mostly  used,  and  the 
engraver  should  follow  them  in  all  of  his  practice,  exQepting  in 
cases  in  which  we  commended  the  use  of  the  style  shown  at 
Eigs.  157  or  158.  If  it  is  necessary  to  put  a long  word  in  a short 
space,  and  this  style  of  old  English  is  to  be  used,  the  proportion  of 
the  letters  could  be  slightly  changed,  the  letters  being  made  nar- 
rower or  drawn  out  and  made  fuller,  as  shown  at  Eig.  157.  These 
changes  can  be  made  as  the  case  may  require,  but  in  making  them 
great  skill  is  necessary,  and  the  student  is  cautioned  to  be  very 
careful  and  accurate  in  making  any  change  from  the  regular  form 
of  letter. 


Shaded  Old  English. 


141 

GERMAN  TEXT. 

At  F'lg.  170  we  illustrate  the  German  text  alphabet  shaded. 
It  has  been  previously  stated  that  the  old  English  alphabet  was 
probably  an  outgrowth  of  the  German  text.  We  are,  therefore, 
inclined  to  believe  that  the  German  text  is  the  one,  if  not  the 
original  ornamental  alphabet.  This  is  without  doubt  true  in  refer- 
ence to  the  class  of  ornamental  letters  used  by  engravers.  German 


text  letters  are  not  used  as  often  as  old  English,  due  no  doubt  to 
the  fact  that  they  are  so  extremely  ornamental  and  so  radically 
different  from  the  plain  foundation  of  our  block  letters  or  any  of  the 
plainer  styles.  These  letters  are  difficult  to  design  and  somewhat 
difficult  to  cut.  They  are  mostly  composed  of  scrolls  and  crescent 
cuts  in  their  general  form,  there  being  no  straight  bars  in  the 
capitals,  and  the  absence  of  the  latter  proves  that  the  letters  are 
difficult  to  cut,  as  well  as  design.  The  irregular  shape  of  the  letter 
is  such  that  it  would  be  quite  difficult  to  arrange  a m.echanical 
drawing,  around  which  or  in  which  the  letters  could  be  designed 
with  any  degree  of  accuracy.  In  fact,  German  text  is  a style  of 
letter  that  should  be  designed  free-hand,  and  from  an  artistic 
standpoint,  not  mechanical.  The  method  of  shading  German  text 
is  the  same  as  has  been  described  for  shading  old  English.  The 


142 


The  Art  of  Engravmg. 


filling  in  between  letters  is  also  the  same.  However,  in  the  regular 
shaded  German  text  the  plain  angle  hair  line,  as  shown  at  Fig.  150, 
is  used  and  preferred,  but  any  of  the  fancy  fillings  could  be  used. 
Usually  this  alphabet  has  little  cuts  along  the  outside  of  the  bar 
from  the  shaded  stroke,  which  are  made  with  a flat-face  graver  ; or 
a square  tool  could  be  used,  making  what  is  known  as  little  scallops 
or  chop  cuts,  previously  described.  The  German  text  can  also  be 
cut  bright  cut  or  fine  line,  the  method  being  the  same  as  has  been 
illustrated  and  described  for  old  English. 

It  is  the  custom  of  some  engravers  to  use  German  text  capitals 
and  old  English  lower-case  letters  in  combination.  The  use  of 
German  text  can  be  applied  in  any  case  where  old  English  could 
be  used,  as  the  letters  are  so  similar.  Many  engravers  think  it 
unnecessary  to  learn  to  sketch  these  letters  accurately,  as  they 
think  old  English  will  take  the  place  of  the  German  text  in  all 
cases.  It  is  true  that  old  English  is  the  most  popular,  yet  there 
are  many  people  who  will  insist  on  having  the  Germant-text  style, 
and  one  who  is  skilled  with  the  graver  and  pencil  in  old  English 
work,  would  find  little  difficulty  in  designing  and  engraving  German 
text  letters.  It  is  not  practical  to  engrave  these  letters  on  an  angle 
tilting  backward  or  forward.  They  should  be  engraved  perfectly 
vertical. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


ENGRAVING  SCRIPT  INSCRIPTIONS. 

Of  all  the  different  classes  of  work  with  which  the  engraver 
has  to  deal,  that  of  engraving  an  inscription  on  a watch  cap  is, 
without  doubt,  the  most  difficult.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
letters  and  words  must  be  given  prominence  according  to  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  word  from  the  standpoint  of  the  meaning  of  the 
inscription,  or  from  a grammatical  standpoint. 

It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  vary  from  the  rules  of  grammar 
in  reference  to  the  prominence  of  different  words,  but  more  often 
the  grammatical  accuracy  of  the  inscription  can  be  carried  out  and 
due  prominence  given  to  the  various  lines  according  to  the  value  of 
the  word  or  words  as  used  by  the  person  ordering  the  inscription 
engraved.  It  is  difficult  to  engrave  an  inscription  on  a polished 
watch  case  and  make  all  the  letters  on  exactly  the  same  angle  and 
all  the  lines  exactly  the  same  size  and  width  of  stroke,  but  this 
must  be  done  in  a script  inscription. 

In  engraving  an  inscription  in  plain  script  the  student  must 
bear  in  mind  the  facts  above  mentioned  in  reference  to  inscription 
work.  When  the  inscription  is  written  out  by  the  customer  it 
should  be  rewritten  by  the  engraver,  he  putting  certain  words  on 
the  lines  as  they  would  best  fit  and  balance  in  the  circle,  and  at  the 
same  time  be  grammatically  accurate.  One  may  be  very  skillful 
with  the  graver  and  yet  be  unable  to  cut  an  inscription  and  do  the 
work  with  the  accuracy  necessary  to  produce  a finished  inscription. 
After  the  inscription  has  been  rewritten  and  arranged  with  the 
words  on  the  lines,  as  it  is  proposed  to  engrave  it,  allowing  for  the 
principal  name  or  names  to  be  engraved  in  a trifle  larger  letter,  the 
next  step  is  to  find  the  center  of  the  inscription.  By  this  is  meant 
that  if  there  be  eight  lines  or  seven  lines,  the  second  line  being 
larger  than  any  of  the  others,  being  the  principal  name  of  the  party 
or  parties  mentioned  in  the  inscription,  the  first  four  lines  would 
occupy  more  space  than  the  four  lines  to  follow,  and  such  allowance 
for  space  must  be  given  in  spacing  the  inscription  on  a piece  of 
paper.  By  spacing  is  meant  drawing  a circle  with  a compass  and 
then  a horizontal  and  vertical  line  through  the  same.  Then  write 


143 


144 


The  Art  of  Ejigravmg. 


the  inscription  in  this  space,  enlarging  the  name  or  names  to  tne 
extent  called  for,  and  thus  giving  them  more  space  than  is  allotted 
to  smaller  lines.  When  such  words  as  “of  the,”  “by  the,”  “is,” 
“and,”  “of,”  “for,”  or  any  prepositions,  conjunctions  or  con- 
necting words  occur,  they  should  be  engraved  in  smaller  letters, 
and  in  spacing  a much  smaller  line  should  be  allowed  for  such 
words  than  for  the  principal  words  or  names. 

After  the  inscription  has  been  written  into  the  circle,  as  above 
described  (and  said  circle  can  be  as  large  as  desired,  the  object  of 
writing  the  inscription  in  the  circle  being  to  see  how  the  inscription 
would  appear  from  a grammatical  standpoint),  the  engraver  can 
form  an  idea  of  how  it  will  appear  when  finished.  He  can  also  find 
the  center  of  the  words  and  whether  or  not  the  center  of  the  cap 
will  come  through  the  center  of  the  third  line  or,  if  there  will  be  eight 
lines,  between  the  fourth  and  fifth.  This  knowledge  is  obtained  by 
writing  the  inscription  in  this  manner,  making  the  lines  that  should 
be  large  larger,  and  those  that  should  be  small  smaller.  Those  that 
are  to  be  all  the  same  should  be  written  accordingly. 

After  the  center  is  thus  obtained  the  watch  cap  is  removed 
from  the  watch.  This  is  not  an  easy  matter  to  accomplish,  as 
sometimes  the  rivet  in  the  hinge  is  very  tight.  A pin  punch,  such 
as  is  used  by  jewelers,  will  avail,  but  it  should  be  blunt  or  flat  on 
the  end,  not  pointed  or  sharp,  as  in  the  latter  case  it  will  spread  the 
pin  and  have  a tendency  to  rivet  it  over,  while  if  it  is  flat  and  of 
the  same  size  as  the  rivet  it  will  drive  the  pin  out  without  any 
trouble.  Before  the  cap  is  removed  it  should  be  pricked  with  a 
stylus  or  any  sharp  instrument  at  the  point  directly  over  the 
pendant.  Then  when  the  case  is  removed  a line  is  drawn  from  the 
center  of  the  rivet  to  this  point,  which  will  be  directly  across  the 
watch  cap  when  placed  in  its  position  again. 

The  cap  is  now  filled  wfith  cement  in  order  to  hold  it  firmly 
while  engraving  and  to  prevent  the  case  from  being  dented  if  it  is  a 
thin  one.  Most  watch  cases  in  solid  gold  are  so  thin  that  it  is 
advisable  to  cement  them.  A little  oil  should  be  placed  around  on 
the  extreme  edge  of  the  inside  of  the  cap  to  prevent  the  wax  from 
sticking  to  it.  One  drop  of  oil  when  the  cap  is  heated  will  be 
sufficient  to  oil  the  cap  all  the  way  around.  After  this  is  done  the 
cap  is  laid  down  with  the  concave  side  up  and  the  wax  melted  and 
run  into  the  cap  until  the  same  is  filled  full  of  the  heated  wax.  Now 
the  brass  or  wood,  to  which  it  is  to  be  cemented,  should  be  held  on 


Eyigraving  Script  Inscriptio7is. 


145 


to  the  pad  or  block  as  the  engraver  prefers.  The  cement  on  such 
block  is  heated  and  the  wax  in  the  cap,  which  by  this  time  is  prob- 
ably somewhat  cooled,  is  warmed  again  slightly  and  the  cap  thus 
heated  placed  on  the  cement  block.  After  the  cap  has  cooled  (if 
it  is  desired  to  rush  the  work,  it  can  be  plunged  into  cold  water, 
which  will  cool  it  very  cjuickly),  it  is  dried  thoroughly  and  covered 
with  the  transfer  wax,  mention  of  which  has  been  previously 
made.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  wax  is  not  to  be  rubbed  on 
to  the  watch  cap  or  any  other  article,  but  must  be  put  on  by  patting 
with  the  finger,  which  has  been  pressed  down  on  to  the  wax.  A 
sufficient  amount  of  wax  will  stick  to  the  finger  so  pressed  down  to 
cover  a watch  cap.  The  patting  gives  it  a deadened  appearance. 
Then  a line  is  drawn  over  the  hinge  to  the  point  indicated  by  the 
dotted  line  made  opposite  the  pendant  before  removing  the  cap, 
which  is  exactly  horizontal  and  passes  through  the  center  of  the  cap. 
There  is  here  an  opportunity  to  bring  into  practical  use  those 
geometrical  or  mechanical  problems  mentioned  in  the  early  chapters 
of  this  work.  We  now  desire  to  erect  a perpendicular  line  on  to 
this  horizontal  line  ; in  other  words,  to  draw  a vertical  line  through 
the  watch  cap.  This  can  be  done  by  erecting  the  perpendicular 
on  a horizontal  and  dropping  the  same  below  the  line.  Instructions 
as  to  the  exact  method  of  doing  this  have  already  been  given. 

Having  thus  made  the  horizontal  and  perpendicular  lines  we 
now  know  where  the  center  of  the  watch  cap  is,  and  having 
previously  found  the  center  of  the  inscription  by  the  method 
described,  we  now  dot,  by  the  use  of  the  stylus,  little  marks  on  the 
vertical  line  above  the  center  of  the  horizontal  line,  each  dot  indi- 
cating the  space  allotted  to  each  line.  We  thus  find  the  location  of 
the  principal  word  in  the  inscription.  For  instance,  if  the  inscription 
is  a presentation  to  a certain  person,  that  person’s  name  is  thus 
found,  and  having  found  the  location  of  it  by  this  method  we  then 
draw  a line  for  a base  guide  line  of  said  words  parallel  with  the 
horizontal  line  across  the  watch  cap.  It  is  to  be  understood  that 
we  are  now  considering  only  inscriptions  such  as  are  to  be  engraved 
in  plain  script,  and  the  lines  here  mentioned  are  to  be  all  perfectly 
straight. 

Having  found  the  location  of  the  principal  name  of  the  inscrip- 
tion, the  all-important  point  now  is  to  decide  on  the  size  of  the 
letters.  The  size  is  decided  in  the  mind  of  the  operator  at  the 
moment  when  he  places  the  rule  to  draw  the  second  guide  line 


146 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


for  the  lower-case  letters.  This  is  the  time  that  all  his  skill 
and  judgment  should  be  brought  into  account,  as,  if  the  line  is 
made  too  large  or  too  small,  the  inscription  is  spoiled,  and  these 
first  words,  the  name  of  the  recipient,  constitute  the  nucleus  for  all 
the  other  lines,  as  it  is  necessary  to  engrave  such  words  in  a size 
appropriate  for  the  size  of  the  watch  cap  and  befitting  the  importance 
of  the  name.  Then  all  the  other  lines  are  engraved  according  to 
the  size  of  this  one,  but  none  can  be  engraved  larger.  Some  may 
be  the  same  size,  but  most  should  be  smaller. 

Having  decided  upon  the  size  of  the  letters  and  having  drawn 
the  letters,  the  spacing  for  the  first,  middle  and  last  name  is  the 
next  consideration.  Some  engravers  space  by  letter,  some  by 
words.  If  the  words  are  short  it  is  safe  to  space  by  words.  By 
spacing  we  mean  making  a little  dot  on  the  line  from  the  extreme 
left  of  the  case  to  the  end  of  the  first  word.  Then,  allowing  for  a 
space  between  the  first  and  second  words,  make  another  dot  to  the 
extreme  right  of  the  middle  name.  If,  however,  the  beginner  finds 
it  necessary  it  is  not  objectionable  to  space  by  letter,  allowing,  of 
course,  more  space  for  the  capital  letter  and  then  allowing  space  for 
the  letters  in  the  name,  according  to  the  size  of  each.  For  illus- 
tration, if  we  come  to  the  letter  I we  allow  less  space  than  we 
would  for  an  M,  and  so  on.  In  other  words,  we  allow  a space 
according  to  the  width  of  the  letter  to  be  placed  therein.  Having 
spaced  the  lines  by  either  of  the  methods  above  described,  we  then 
hold  the  watch  cap  at  a distance  of  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  in 
front  of  the  eyes  and  study  the  appearance  of  it  before  it  is  cut. 
By  this  the  reader  must  not  infer  that  it  is  necessary  for  a skilled 
engraver  to  deal  with  such  preliminaries  ; we  are  now  speaking 
especially  for  the  benefit  of  the  beginner. 

Holding  the  watch  cap  as  mentioned  we  study  the  size  of  the 
letters  and  their  appearance  as  sketched,  to  note  if  they  are  too 
large  or  too  small  for  the  watch  cap.  If  they  are  too  small  they 
must  be  obliterated  by  patting  the  index  finger  over  the  words  and 
doing  them  over  again,  and  if  any  change  is  necessary  great  care 
should  be  exercised  to  avoid  crowding  of  the  letters  or  allowing 
more  than  the  proper  space  for  letters  or  words.  The  distance 
allowed  between  the  letters,  that  is,  lower-case  letters,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  line,  should  be  maintained  throughout  the  line.  In  the 
work  of  students  it  is  sometimes  observable  that  words  are  begun 
by  drawing  the  letters  out,  and  as  the  student  nears  the  end  of  the 


Engraving  Script  Inscriptions. 


147 


line  the  letters  are  crowded,  which  is  found  necessary  in  order  to 
get  all  the  letters  on  the  line.  Such  spacing,  of  course,  must  be 
very  carefully  avoided.  We  must  maintain  the  same  spacing  and 
same  width  of  letter  both  in  the  width  of  the  letter  from  the  right 
bar  to  the  left  bar  of  the  same,  and  the  v/idths  of  the  bars  or  the 
shade  strokes.  If  the  beginning  of  the  line  is  cut  heavy  each  and 
every  letter  of  the  line  should  be  cut  exactly  the  same.  For 
instance,  if  the  student  will  study  the  lines  of  a finely-cut  monogram 
or  letter  by  actual  measurement,  he  will  find  there  is  not  a variation 
of  a thousandth  part  of  an  inch  in  the  width  of  the  shade  strokes. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  an  inscription.  There  is  probably  more 
skill  required  in  engraving  an  inscription  on  a watch  cap  when  the 
inscription  is  composed  of  eight  or  ten  lines  than  in  almost  any 
other  class  of  engraving  that  is  done  in  a jewelry  store.  The 
difficulty  in  this  case  arises  from  a cause  similar  to  that  in  the  case 
of  a wedding  announcement  or  invitation,  as  all  the  lines  must  be 
exactly  the  same,  according  to  the  importance  of  the  words. 

If  the  words  appear  to  the  engraver  to  be  accurate  when  held 
in  front  of  his  eyes  as  above  mentioned,  he  then  commences  at  the 
left  to  engrave  a line.  Among  the  students  who  have  had  years  of 
experience  as  practical  engravers  there  are  few  who  would  begin  to 
cut  a word  at  the  right  and  work  to  the  left  instead  of  beginning  at 
the  left  and  working  to  the  right.  The  reason  given  by  them  for 
this  is  that  they  do  so  in  order  to  avoid  rubbing  out  the  line.  Of 
course,  this  would  not  apply  to  a watch  cap,  as  the  fingers  and 
thumb  work  around  the  edge  of  the  case  and  seldom  pass  over  the 
horizontal  line,  but  if  it  was  on  a larger  piece  the  argument  in  favor 
of  cutting  from  the  left  to  the  right  would  not  hold,  as  it  matters 
not  whether  you  cut  from  the  left  to  the  right  or  right  to  the  left, 
the  same  amount  of  crossing  of  the  horizontal  line  is  necessary  in 
doing  the  work. 

Some  labor  under  the  impression  that  in  cutting  shade  strokes 
they  turn  to  the  left  and  rub  out  the  design.  If  anyone  holding 
this  opinion  will  carefully  observe  his  finger  and  thumb  he  will  learn 
that  he  does  not  curve  his  hand  around  on  an  angle  of  more  than 
50°  to  the  right.  Therefore,  we  find  that  there  is  no  more  danger 
of  erasing  a sketch  than  there  is  in  cutting  from  the  left  to  the 
right,  and  as  it  is  more  natural  to  work  forward  than  backward,  the 
student  is  advised  by  all  means  to  begin  at  the  left  of  the  line  and 
cut  the  capital  letter  first  complete.  Then  cut  all  the  down  strokes 


148 


The  Art  of  Ejigraving. 


in  the  first  word.  Then  reverse  the  article  and  cut  up  all  the  shade 
strokes  that  should  be  cut  up.  Cutting  the  shade  strokes  up,  going 
backwards,  is  done  by  beginning  at  the  right  and  cutting  back  to 
the  left.  When  we  arrive  at  the  capital  letter  again  we  go  over  the 
word  the  third  and  last  time,  and  cut  up  all  the  hair  lines  and  all 
the  cross  lines,  such  as  the  top  of  an  R.  Then  the  second  word 
and  third  and  so  on  are  engraved  similarly  throughout  the  line.  A 
great  many  engravers  prefer,  in  work  of  this  kind,  to  cut  all  the 
down  strokes  first  throughout  the  line,  then  all  the  up  strokes  and 
then  the  hair  lines,  but  it  is  perhaps  more  advisable  to  cut  one  word 
only  at  a time  when  such  words  begin  with  capitals,  such  as  the 
names  of  persons  or  any  proper  noun.  Where  a line  begins  with  a 
lower-case  letter  and  is  composed  of  lower-case  letters  throughout, 
the  spacing  being  very  accurate,  all  the  shade  strokes  throughout 
the  line  should  be  cut  first,  but  this  method  is  scarcely  orthodox 
from  a practical  standpoint  when  we  find  capitals  on  the  line. 

Opinions  may  vary  as  to  the  proper  procedure,  but  there  are 
certain  rudimentary  principles  which  apply  equally  to  differing 
methods.  Now,  in  the  case  of  cutting  all  the  down  strokes  in  a line 
where  it  is  composed  of  lower-case  letters  only,  it  is  advisable  to  do 
as  above  stated  if  the  spacing  is  very  accurate,  as  in  this  way  the 
work  can  be  accomplished  with  much  more  rapidity,  because  it 
is  not  necessary  to  reverse  the  plate  so  often.  This,  however, 
amounts  to  but  little  when  working  on  the  modern  engraving  blocks. 

After  the  principal  name  has  been  designed  and  engraved,  then 
the  words  “presented  to,”  or  “awarded  to,”  or  any  forms  pre- 
ceding the  principal  name,  should  be  engraved  in  a size  smaller, 
and  otherwise  harmonizing  with  the  first  name  engraved.  Then 
the  second  line  should  be  engraved,  and  if  there  is  a preposition  or 
conjunction,  or  other  connecting  word  between  the  third  and  second 
lines  they  should  be  engraved  after  the  third  line  has  been  cut.  The 
spacing  between  the  second  and  third  lines  should  be  a very  little 
more  than  is  necessary,  as  it  can  be  filled  in  by  the  prepositions  or 
conjunctions,  such  words  being  engraved  so  small  that  they  can 
often  fit  in  well  over  the  smaller  lower-case  letters.  After  these 
lines  are  engraved  in  ‘this  manner  the  lines  following  are  engraved 
in  rotation.  The  engraver  should  be  very  particular  to  engrave  the 
last  line,  which  is  usually  a date,  in  exactly  the  same  size  letter  as 
the  words  “presented  to,”  or  whatever  the  first  word  of  the 
inscription  may  be. 


Engraving  Script  Inscriptions. 


149 


If  an  inscription  is  of  the  style  where  an  article  is  presented  to 
a person  in  honor  of  any  event  or  for  heroic  performance  of  duty, 
the  sentence  in  reference  to  such  incident  should  be  engraved 
exactly  the  same  size  and  style  of  letter. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  we  have  previously  mentioned 
the  condition  of  the  graver  for  engraving  on  polished  metals,  which 
is  the  condition  it  is  in  as  it  leaves  the  oilstone.  Now,  this  advice 
will  not  always  apply,  as  some  engravers  use  an  oilstone  that  is 
altogether  too  coarse.  The  advice  given  will  apply  only  to  those 
using  a fine  Arkansas  stone,  because  if  a coarse  stone  is  used  the 
condition  of  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver  will  be  such  that  it  will 
be  almost  impossible  to  hold  it  into  a piece  of  highly-polished  gold, 
and  it  will  be  so  grooved  on  the  front  that  the  extreme  point  of  the 
graver  will  break  off  very  quickly.  A fine  Arkansas  stone  will 
leave  the  cutting  edge  of  the  graver  in  condition  to  cut  a line  giving 
an  appearance  of  a deadened  finish,  as  described  in  the  early  portion 
of  this  work.  This  is  the  condition  of  the  graver  required  for  the 
work  mentioned. 

After  the  inscription  has  been  designed  and  engraved  the  wax 
should  be  washed  off  with  a brush  and  soap  and  a very  little 
ammonia,  after  which  it  should  be  heated  by  holding  it  with  the 
engraved  side  just  above  the  alcohol  lamp.  After  it  is  heated  a 
very  little  the  screw  driver,  or  even  a graver,  may  be  placed  on  the 
edge  of  the  cap  ; this  can  be  pressed  down  and  will  immediately 
drop  off  from  the  block,  leaving  thereon  nearly  all  the  wax.  The 
little  wax  that  does  adhere  to  the  watch  cap  can  be  removed  by 
boiling  it  in  wood  alcohol,  which  is  not  expensive,  or  in  water,  to 
which  latter  should  be  added  borax,  in  the  proportion  of  a tea- 
spoonful of  borax  to  a glass  of  water.  But  even  twice  this  amount 
of  borax  would  do  no  harm.  The  advantage  of  using  this  proportion 
is  that  there  is  no  danger  of  it  catching  fire.  After  the  wax  has 
boiled  off  from  the  cap  in  this  manner  it  is  thoroughly  washed  and 
dried  with  a towel,  after  which  it  is  ready  to  be  polished  on  the 
lathe.  In  polishing,  the  engraver  who  finds  it  necessary  to  wait  on 
customers  in  a store  and  desires  to  keep  his  hands  as  free  as  possible 
from  the  bad  effects  of  a polishing  lathe,  should  hold  the  cap  by  its 
extreme  edge  with  a piece  of  tissue  paper,  and  should  pick  up  the 
buff  with  a piece  of  tissue  paper,  placing  it  on  the  lathe  without 
allowing  his  fingers  to  come  in  contact  with  the  rouge  buff.  The 
polishing  should  be  done  very  carefully  and  very  accurately,  the 


150 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


lathe  running  at  as  high  a speed  as  is  possible,  the  pressure  on  the 
watch  cap  being  uniform.  The  cap  should  not  be  held  in  any  one 
position  for  any  period.  It  should  be  constantly  changed.  The 
ordinary  felt  buff  should  be  used  first,  after  which  the  very  fine 
cotton  buff  should  be  used.  After  the  cap  has  been  thus  polished, 
if  there  is  any  rouge  in  the  engraving,  as  there  often  is,  it  should  be 
washed  by  pouring  several  drops  of  ammonia  on  to  a brush,  which 
has  been  previously  drawn  across  a bar  of  soap  ; then  a little  water 
may  be  added  to  the  brush  and  the  surface  of  the  cap  washed  by 
giving  a circular  motion.  The  ammonia  will  cut  the  rouge  very 
quickly,  and  the  surface  of  the  cap  is  thus  washed  off  very  easily. 
It  is  now  thoroughly  rinsed  off  in  clean  water,  and  then  a little 
alcohol  should  be  poured  on  to  the  surface,  or  it  should  be  dropped 
into  a dish  of  alcohol  and  afterwards  thrown  into  boxwood  sawdust 
and  dried.  After  removing  it  from  the  sawdust  the  little  dust  that 
adheres  to  it  should  be  brushed  off  with  a very  soft  brush  or  very 
clean  chamois  skin.  The  watch  cap  is  now  placed  on  the  case  and 
should  be  held  in  the  hands  with  a piece  of  tissue  paper  to  avoid 
the  finger  marks. 

In  engraving  inscriptions  on  gold  filled  watch  cases  it  is  not 
necessary  to  cement  it  if  one  has  an  engraving  block.  The 
engraving  block  can  be  used  by  setting  it  with  pins  on  the  inside  of 
the  cap.  The  pins  should  never  be  placed  on  the  outside  of  the 
cap.  The  method  first  mentioned  should  be  followed,  as  it  holds 
the  cap  very  firmly  without  any  danger  of  injuring  it,  as  the  pins 
are  grooved  in  such  a way  that  they  will  exactly  fit  the  inside  of  a 
watch  cap. 

The  exact  diameter  of  an  inscription  is  a matter  that  has 
attracted  the  attention  of  a great  many  beginners  in  engraving. 
Some  labor  under  the  impression  that  in  engraving  a monogram  on 
a watch  cap,  for  example,  the  monogram  should  be  made  as  large 
as  can  be  placed  on  the  case.  The  best  rule  to  follow  is  that  the 
inscription  on  a cap  or  monogram  on  a watch  case  should  protrude 
out  to  the  edge  of  the  case  where  the  latter  begins  to  bevel  down- 
wards. Of  course,  some  cases  decline  from  the  very  center,  but  we 
refer  in  this  instance  to  where  the  case  begins  to  bevel  over  to  form 
the  outer  edge.  If  this  rule  is  followed,  the  engraver  will  rarely 
make  any  mistake  as  to  the  size  of  the  inscription  or  the  size  of  the 
monogram.  Of  course,  some  customers  might  prefer  to  have  a 
very  small  monogram  or  inscription  right  in  the  center  of  the  case. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


INSCRIPTIONS  IN  DIFFERENT  STYLES  OF  LETTERS 


At  Fig.  1 71  we  illustrate  an  inscription  engraved  in  three 
different  styles  of  letters,  which  styles  are  used  mostly  in  inscription 
work.  The  circle  here  shown  represents  a watch  cap.  The  space 
indicated  by  the  lines  C C inside  the  circle  and  yet  outside  the  line 
B B,  circumscribing  the  inscription,  is  left  perfectly  plain.  The 
idea  entertained  by  many  students  that  in  inscription  work  they 
should  fill  the  circle  of  the  watch  cap  is  erroneous,  as  we  have 
already  shown  in  discussing  this  class 
of  work.  Inscriptions  should  be  worked 
from  the  center  up  and  down,  occupy- 
ing only  such  space  as  the  distance  apart 
of  the  lines  would  necessitate,  and  leav- 
ing an  equal  amount  of  space  above  the 
first  line  and  below  the  last  line  of  the 
inscription. 

The  inscription  shown  at  Fig.  17 1 
has  three  names,  which  occupy  a space 
much  longer  than  any  of  the  other  lines, 
and  for  this  reason  we  have  engraved  it  in  scroll  shape,  showing  the 
student  that  a greater  number  of  words  can  be  placed  in  this  way 
than  in  a straight  line,  and  we  have,  besides,  a desirable  place  for 
the  word  “by.”  It  is  not  advisable  to  place  two  lines  that  are 
scroll  or  oval-shaped  near  each  other.  A line  engraved  horizon- 
tally should  be  placed  between  any  two  curved  lines.  Of  course, 
this  could  not  apply  in  the  case  of  the  words  ‘ ‘ presented  to  ’ ’ 
and  “ Ethelind  Fowler  Rees,”  as  it  is  necessary  or  rather  desirable 
to  engrave  the  words  “presented  to”  oval,  so  as  to  make  them 
conform  to  the  shape  of  the  watch  cap  as  nearly  as  possible.  We 
sometimes  see  several  lines  throughout  an  inscription  engraved  in 
scrolls,  ovals  and  various  fancy  forms.  This  plan  should  not  be 
followed,  as  it  is  not  good  form.  A straight  line  should  be  made 
between  curved  lines  to  give  prominence  to  them  and  show  a con- 
trast. If  several  curved  lines  are  close  together  the  appearance  will 
be  what  we  might  term  “ mixed  up,”  in  other  words,  very  irregular. 


151 


152 


The  Art  oj  Engraving . 


In  engraving  the  inscription,  shown  at  Fig.  17 1,  it  is  not 
intended  that  the  line  B B should  be  engraved.  It  is  here  given 
simply  to  circumscribe  the  inscription  so  as  to  show  the  amount  of 
space  left  above  and  below.  Now,  if  there  were  less  lines  than  are 
given  here  the  inscription  would  not  occupy  as  much  space  verti- 
cally, while  if  there  were  one  or  two  additional  lines  it  would 
occupy  that  much  more  space.  The  relative  proportion  of  letters 
in  inscriptions,  especially  when  engraved  in  script,  Roman  and  old 
English,  is  one  of  the  necessary  points  to  be  considered  by  the 
student,  as  a beautifully  engraved  inscription  can  be  spoiled  in  its 
general  appearance  by  making  the  letters  either  too  large  or  too 
small.  In  the  case  of  the  inscription  here  given  the  proportions  of 
the  letters  are  as  they  should  be.  It  will  be  observed  (and  it  is  a 
good  rule  for  the  student  to  follow)  that  in  engraving  the  words 
“presented  to,”  preceding  a line  of  old  English,  where  the  latter  is 
the  prominent  name  of  the  inscription,  the  words  “presented  to” 
should  be  engraved  not  any  larger  than  the  small  lower-case  old 
English  letters,  and  it  is  sometimes  advisable  to  make  them  a little 
smaller.  The  same  rule  will  apply  to  the  word  “by,”  or  any 
smaller  words  connecting  the  principal  letters.  Roman  letters  can 
be  engraved  with  fine  lines  and,  therefore,  the  size  can  be  made  as 
desired  by  the  engraver  to  fit  his  inscription.  When  the  giver’s 
name  follows  the  recipient’s  name  in  the  inscription,  the  former 
should  be  engraved  no  larger  than  the  latter,  but  could  be  engraved 
the  same  size.  As  is  here  shown  it  looks  well  when  engraved  the 
same  size  ; nor  would  it  matter  if  it  was  a little  smaller,  but  it  would 
be  in  bad  form  to  make  it  any  larger. 

In  reference  to  the  size  of  script,  as  compared  to  old  English, 
it  cannot  be  definitely  stated  just  what  would  be  right,  as  the 
proportions  of  old  English  letters  vary  to  some  extent,  engravers 
very  often  engraving  some  bars  of  the  letters  heavier  than  others. 
The  proportions  here  given  are  about  correct,  and  the  student 
should  gage  the  proportions  from  the  lesson  here  given.  The  idea 
possessed  by  many  of  our  beginners  in  engraving  that  in  forming 
the  inscription  they  should  make  the  lines  as  ornamental  and 
irregular  as  possible,  is  erroneous.  Lines  of  words  in  inscriptions 
engraved  straight  are  usually  acceptable,  and  very  slight  curves  in 
some  of  the  principal  lines  are  all  that  should  be  considered  in  a 
well-formed  inscription.  Inscriptions  must  be  legible  and  at  the 
same  time  artistic,  and  the  engraver  should  engrave  them  with  this 


Inscriptions  in  Dijferent  Styles  of  Letters.  153 

fact  in  view.  In  the  case  of  the  words  “presented  to,”  in  the 
inscription  under  consideration,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  arc  on 
which  these  letters  are  formed  is  about  the  same  as  the  arc  of  the 
line  “April  21,  1902.”  The  curve,  however,  of  the  latter  is  a little 
sharp,  which  is  necessary,  as  the  line  “presented  to”  occupies  a 
greater  space  and  is  a longer  line,  which  necessitates  the  arc  being 
greater  than  that  of  the  date.  If  the  line  occupied  by  the  date 
were  in  the  same  style  and  size  of  letter  and  of  the  same  length  in 
relation  to  the  line  preceding  it,  as  the  words  “presented  to”  in 
relation  to  the  line  following  them,  then  both  these  lines  should  be 
on  the  same  arc. 

The  student  should  be  very  cautious  in  reference  to  these  little 
points  in  inscriptions,  as  if  the  proper  curve  is  not  given  to  the 
beginning  and  ending  of  a line  the  inscription  will  appear  irregular. 
We  sometimes  see  one  that  appears  flat  on  top  and  rounding  at  the 
base.  Of  course,  this  should  not  be.  As  indicated  by  the  line 
B B,  in  the  case  of  the  inscription  in  question,  we  And  that  the  lines 
are  so  formed  that  they  conform  to  a circle  above  and  below  on 
the  same  arc.  This  is  as  any  well-formed  inscription  should  be, 
provided  there  is  no  curve  at  all  to  the  first  and  last  lines.  Some- 
times inscriptions  are  engraved  by  making  all  the  lines  exactly 
horizontal,  which  is  not  bad  form.  However,  if  slight  curves  can 
be  given,  after  the  form  of  the  lines  here  shown,  the  artistic  features 
of  the  inscription  are  enhanced  and  the  legibility  is  not  lessened. 

Great  care  should  be  exercised  in  making  the  little  curves  in 
and  around  the  lines  in  an  inscription.  They  should  be  very  deli- 
cate and  very  accurate.  It  is  not  necessary  that  they  should  be 
extremely  ornamental.  We  often  find  inscriptions  in  which  the 
ornamentation  and  fancy  curves  in  and  around  the  lines  are  so 
elaborate  that  they  detract  from  the  lines  of  the  letters.  Such 
inscriptions  are  not  as  legible  as  they  would  be  if  such  embellish- 
ments were  absent.  It  should  be  remembered  by  all  students  in  the 
art  that  the  ornaments  in  and  around  letters  should  be  so  engraved 
as  to  appear  in  the  background,  and  should  never  be  made  suffi- 
ciently prominent  to  detract  attention  from  the  lines  or  letters. 

Inscription  work  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  kinds  that  the 
engraver  has  to  do,  owing  chiefly  to  the  fact  that  in  the  case  of 
the  making  of  the  three  most  prominent  styles  of  letters  which  we 
illustrated  at  Fig.  171,  it  is  very  difficult  to  engrave  the  letters  in 
different  styles  so  as  to  be  in  the  correct  size  in  relation  to  the 


154 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


preceding  or  following  letters,  in  order  to  maintain  harmony 
throughout  the  entire  inscription.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
either  make  one  line  a little  too  heavy  or  a little  too  small,  but  to 
get  them  all,  when  in  different  styles  of  letters,  the  right  width, 
height  and  distance  apart,  is  not  an  easy  matter.  Inscription  work, 
therefore,  is  a most  difficult  class  of  work,  and  affords  a broader 
field  for  study  than  any  other.  If  practiced  in  accordance  with  the 
suggestions  here  given  it  will  educate  the  engraver  more  than  any 
other  practice  in  which  he  could  engage.  No  one  is  entitled  to 
call  himself  an  engraver  until  he  has  mastered  the  engraving  of 
inscriptions,  as  he  will  find  in  a store  of  ordinary  size,  or  in  any 
engraving  establishment  that  there  is  a great  demand  for  this  class 
of  work.  Hence  the  necessity  of  being  able  to  execute  it  with  the 
greatest  degree  of  accuracy  and  artistic  skill. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


ENGRAVING  ON  SPOON  HANDLES. 

Engraving  on  spoon  handles  is  one  of  the  classes  of  work  that 
the  engraver  is  most  frequently  called  on  to  do,  and  the  patterns 
vary  so  radically  that  some  knowledge  of  laying  out  the  work  is 
necessary.  We  often  see  letters,  initials  or  names  engraved  on 
spoon  handles  too  far  to  the  right  or  left,  too  far  up  or  down  ; in 
other  words,  not  in  the  center  of  the  spoon  handle  or  the  space  on 
the  spoon  handle  for  initials.  Of  course,  these  errors  do  not  exist 
among  skilled  engravers.  It  is  merely  a weakness  of  the  beginner 
who  has  not  the  advantages  of  experience  or  the  technical  knowl- 
edge of  laying  out  such  work. 

At  A,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  a representation  of  a spoon 
handle  with  a line  drawn  through  the  center  of  it,  which  is  the  first 


Fig.  173 


thing  to  do  after  the  handle  has  been  covered  with  wax  in  the 
method  previously  described.  If  the  design  is  of  such  a shape  that 
it  is  impossible  to  get  the  centers  to  the  right  and  left  ; in  other 
words,  if  the  space  on  the  handle  is  irregularly  shaped,  then  a line 
should  be  drawn  horizontally  as  here  shown  through  the  center  of 


155 


The  Art  of  Efigravmg. 


156 

the  space  and  should  be  on  a line  direct  from  the  center  of  the  bowl 
of  the  spoon  to  the  center  of  the  end  of  the  handle.  We  some- 
times find  spoon  designs  with  a space  for  the  initial  or  initials  below 
or  above  the  center.  In  this  case  the  method  above  described  by 
drawing  a line  parallel  with  a line  from  the  center  of  the  bowl  to 
the  center  of  the  end  of  the  handle  should  be  made,  said  line 
passing  directly  through  the  center  of  the  space.  In  the  case  of 
the  design  shown  at  A,  Fig.  172,  the  handle  here  represented  is  a 
plain  one  and  the  method  of  laying  out  the  work  to  be  described 
for  this  one  will  apply  to  nearly  all  styles  of  spoon  handles,  and 
when  we  mention  spoon  handles  of  course  we  have  reference  to 
spoon,  fork  or  knife  handles,  or  any  similar  spaces  suitable  for 
initial  or  initials.  After  having  drawn  the  line  horizontally  through 
the  center  of  the  handle,  as  shown  at  A,  we  next  find  the  center 
of  the  space.  We  might  term  this  center  the  general  center,  as 
the  vertical  line  here  drawn  is  not  half  way  from  the  extreme  left 
and  the  extreme  right,  but  it  is  in  what  may  be  termed  the  general 
center  of  the  space  on  the  spoon  handle.  This  line  is  used  to  give 
the  engraver  when  designing  an  accurate  idea  of  the  center  of  the 
space.  If  his  mind  were  on  the  accuracy  of  the  design  at  the  time 
of  execution  he  would  not  be  so  apt  to  observe  the  proximity  of 
the  letters  to  the  left  or  their  distance  from  the  right,  in  which  case 
they  might  not  be  properly  placed.  It  is  our  duty  to  place  the 
initials  exactly  in  the  center  of  the  space  intended  for  them  and  in 
the  size  appropriate  for  said  space,  but  it  must  not  be  understood 
that  the  letters  should  be  midway  between  the  extreme  left  and 
right.  As  above  described,  the  letters  should  be  in  the  general 
center  of  the  space  near  the  end  of  the  handle  proper. 

After  having  drawn  the  horizontal  and  vertical  lines  we  now 
draw  a line,  if  engraving  a name,  just  below  the  center  line  as 
shown  at  B,  Fig.  172.  The  space  between  the  center  line  and  the 
line  below  the  center  is  to  be  the  height  of  the  lower-case  letters 
and  the  line  above  the  center  line  is  the  top  of  the  capitals.  In  some 
cases  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  top  of  the  lower-case  letters  slightly 
above  the  center,  but  in  the  case  of  a design  such  as  the  one  here 
shown  the  top  of  the  lower-case  letters  may  well  be  arranged  to 
pass  directly  through  the  center  of  the  space,  the  capital  protruding 
so  much  farther  above  the  center  counterbalancing  the  lower-case 
letters  below  the  center.  This  rule  will  not  apply  to  all  names,  but 
will  answer  for  any  name  without  any  great  variance  from  exactness. 


Engravmg  on  Spoon  Handles. 


157 


If  we  are  engraving  a word  with  several  lines  below  the  lower  lower- 
case guide  line  such  as  G,  Y,  Z,  P or  F,  then  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  drop  the  small  lower-case  letters  so  far  below  the  center.  If 
we  have  a word  with  several  of  the  lower-case  letters  protruding  above 
the  top  guide  line  of  the  lower-case  letters,  such  letters  as  T,  H,  L, 
K or  D,  then  the  capital  and  these  letters  protruding  so  far  above 
the  center  would  necessitate  lowering  the  small  lower-case  letters 
farther  than  if  we  had  several  of  the  letters  above  described  pro- 
truding below  the  line.  These  are  technicalities  that  should  be 
considered  seriously  by  the  engraver,  and  are  one  of  the  features  in 
engraving  that  are  conducive  to  accuracy  and  high  art  in  the  work. 
The  engraver  who  simply  draws  a line  by  guess  work  on  a space 
and  throws  the  letters  on  promiscuously,  or  carelessly,  is  usually 
the  one  who  does  not  make  a success  of  his  calling.  These  little 
points  may  be  deemed  by  the  student  to  be  of  little  value,  but  he 
will  find  that  it  is  necessary,  especially  in  beginning,  to  know  the 
proper  location  of  initials  or  names  in  order  to  reach  any  degree  of 
accuracy.  We  do  not  mean  that  all  of  our  most  skilled  engravers, 
when  engraving  a single  spoon,  would  make  all  of  these  lines,  but 
they  must  have  a knowledge  of  their  proper  location  and  draw  such 
lines  as  are  necessary  to  follow  out  the  principles  here  outlined. 
A student  can  plainly  see  that  if  these  rules  are  followed  the  greatest 
accuracy  will  be  attained,  and  after  he  has  followed  these  rules  for  a 
time  it  is  possible  that  experience  will  enable  him  to  place  the  word 
or  initials  on  the  space  with  great  accuracy  by  drawing  one  line 
only.  This  is  the  way  that  our  most  skilled  and  experienced  artists 
design  names  on  such  spaces,  but  the  beginner  must  follow  the 
rules  we  have  mentioned  in  order  to  make  sure  that  he  knows  just 
where  to  place  such  letters. 

At  C,  Fig.  172,  we  show  the  second  and  third  vertical  lines  in 
addition  to  the  ones  shown  at  A.  The  one  at  the  left  is  the  base 
line  and  the  one  at  the  right  the  top  line  of  the  space  in  which  a 
single  letter  is  to  be  placed  in  the  spoon  handle  when  said  handle  is 
held  in  a vertical  position  and  the  letter  is  to  be  read  in  that  way. 
By  the  aid  of  the  horizontal  and  vertical  line,  and  the  two  other 
lines,  we  have  the  exact  center  of  the  space  together  with  a guide 
for  the  base  and  a guide  for  the  top  of  the  letter,  and  a student  in 
the  art  would  be  indeed  very  cumbersome  or  awkward  in  his 
designing  if,  with  such  guide  lines,  he  would  not  be  able  to  place 
the  initial  in  the  proper  position. 


158 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


At  D we  show  a line  drawn  from  the  center  of  the  handle. 
This  illustration  is  to  be  viewed  by  holding  the  handle  vertically. 
The  object  of  this  line  is  to  guide  the  engraver  when  sketching 
initials  on  the  spoon  handle  after  the  style  known  as  drooping 
letters.  By  the  aid  of  this  line  he  is  sure  that  the  letter  will  be 
midway  between  the  right  and  left  of  the  handle. 

THE  PROPER  SIZE  OF  LETTERS  FOR  ANY  SPACE. 

We  have  thus  far  considered  the  exact  formation  of  letters  and 
the  method  of  engraving  the  same,  together  with  some  points  in 
reference  to  properly  laying  them  out.  We  now  arrive  at  that 
stage  where  it  is  necessary  to  consider  the  subject  more  deeply  and 
give  some  thought  to  the  subject  of  the  exact  size  of  the  initial  in 
proportion  to  the  article  being  engraved,  and  before  we  pass  to  this 
all-important  question  it  will  be  necessary  for  us,  in  order  to  follow 
the  work  through  the  different  styles  of  letters,  to  first  consider  the 
method  of  engraving  ciphers  or  entwined  script.  This,. undoubtedly, 
is  a subject  which  will  be  appreciated  more  by  the  beginner  than 
any  other,  as  the  author’s  experience  has  been  that  students  are  not 
satisfied  until  they  have  reached  the  monogram  course,  and  it  will 
be  admitted,  even  by  skilled  engravers,  that  monograms  are 
extremely  interesting,  and  there  is  a fascination  about  the  work 
that  does  not  attach  to  general  lettering. 

INITIALS  FOR  CIPHERS. 

In  considering  the  subject  of  ciphers  it  is  our  first  duty  to  learn 
the  correct  form  of  letters  for  such  work.  The  cipher  initial  varies 
from  the  regular  script  letter  which  we  have  illustrated  and  described, 
in  reference  to  the  loops  more  particularly.  The  letters,  of  course, 
in  ciphers  are  usually  vertical  and  are  made  with  all  loops  complete, 
and  wherever  a loop  can  be  made  on  the  letter  it  is  made  complete. 
The  letters  are  usually  made  a little  fuller  than  the  regular  script, 
an  illustration  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  172,  where  we  show  at  L 
the  monogram  style  of  B,  and  at  M the  regular  style  of  the  same 
letter.  The  student  will  observe  that  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to 
entwine  script  letters  made  in  this  manner.  The  trouble  with  most 
of  our  engravers,  who  have  not  been  taught  the  art  thoroughly,  in 
doing  monogram  cipher  work,  is  that  they  have  not  the  correct 
form  of  the  initials.  If  the  student  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  letters 
are  all  to  b^  made  with  all  loops  complete,  and  a little  fuller  than 


Engravhig  on  Spoon  Handles 


159 


the  regular  letter,  and  vertical  as  shown  and  illustrated  at  Fig.  172, 
he  will  experience  little  difficulty  in  entwining  the  initials.  We  will 
first  consider  entwining,  and  then  proceed  step  by  step  to  complete 
cipher  work. 

We  will  first  entwine  the  initials  in  what  is  called  running  or 
entwined  script.  We  begin  by  making  the  first  letter  complete  ; 
then  the  second,  and  hook  it  into  the  first  as  closely  and  at  such 
points  as  the  form  of  the  letter  will  make  convenient,  illustration  of 
which  is  shown  at  N,  Fig.  172,  where  we  have  the  initials  B,  M,  R, 
entwined  in  what  is  known  as  running  or  entwined  script.  The 
engraver,  in  learning  cipher  or  script  monogram  work,  should  prac- 
tice designing  initials  in  this  manner  until  he  has  become  so  skilled 
in  the  work  that  he  can  entwine  them  as  rapidly  as  he  could  design 
them  separately.  Then  the  student  should  commence  closing  the 
letters  up,  and  by  so  doing  gradually  work  into  a regular  monogram. 

At  O,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  the  same  letters  designed  closer 
together.  Of  course,  it  requires  some  more  skill  to  design  the 
letters  as  close  as  this  which  makes  what  we  might  term  a cipher  or 
script  monogram,  yet  the  same  initials  can  be  made  more  compact 
than  here  shown,  and  can  be  engraved  after  the  same  style,  either 
round,  oblong  or  full  in  design.  ’ 

At  P,  Fig.  172,  we  show  a complete  cipher  of  the  same  initials. 
Now  the  student  is  especially  cautioned  in  reference  to  engraving  a 
complete  cipher  at  the  start.  He  should  have  patience  in  the  work 
and  practice  after  the  style  shown  at  A^and  O,  Fig.  172,  until  he  is 
complete  master  of  any  initials  that  he  may  desire  to  engrave 
in  this  design  before  he  attempts  to  set  them  as  close  together  as 
shown  at  P,  Fig.  172.  The  trouble  with  most  of  our  monogram 
engravers  is  that  they  are  not  sufficiently  skilled  in  designing, 
thinking  that  the  great  test  of  skill  is  in  the  cutting.  There  is  really 
more  skill  required  in  laying  out  the  cipher  after  the  style  here 
shown  than  in  cutting  it.  For  this  reason  the  student  is  advised  to 
diligently  practice  designing. 

This  work  can  be  done  in  the  evening,  or  at  such  leisure  time 
as  the  student  may  have  outside  his  regular  business  or  studies. 
One  who  will  practice  the  designing  of  ciphers  diligently  will 
experience  little  difficulty  in  mastering  the  art  providing  he  follows 
the  plan  here  described.  It  confuses  a student  very  much  if  he 
launches  out  from  plain  letters  into  complete  monogram  as  shown 
at  P,  Fig.  172,  at  first  ; while  if  he  will  practice  entwining  the 


i6o 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


initials  as  described  and  shown  at  and  (9,  Fig.  172,  he  will 
gradually  master  the  work  before  he  realizes  it,  and  the  work  as  he 
advances  will  seem  much  easier  to  accomplish. 

After  the  student  has  become  familiar  with  designing  the 
ciphers,  he  must  consider  the  method  of  cutting  them.  We  have 
said  in  the  early  part  of  this  work  that  in  cutting  script  letters  the 
graver  should  always  be  thrown  out  in  the  center  of  loops  or  at  the 
top  or  bottom  of  a loop.  In  monogram  engraving  this  advice  in 
reference  to  script  is  to  be  ignored.  Indeed,  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  lay  down  any  set  rules  by  which  the  student  can  be  guided. 
One  of  the  most  important  points  to  be  borne  in  mind  is  the  method 
of  procedure  after  the  monogram  has  been  designed.  If  it  is  a 
large  one  the  monogram  should  be  scratched  on  with  a stylus  very 
delicately,  so  that  it  could  be  easily  polished  off  if  it  were  necessary 
to  do  so. 

Some  engravers  will  commence  a monogram  by  beginning  at 
the  extreme  right  of  the  last  letter  and  work  to  the  left,  and  others 
will  begin  at  almost  any  point  convenient  for  them,  which  is  entirely 
wrong.  We  should  go  about  our  work  systematically  in  order  to 
insure  a successful  end.  We  should  start  a monogram  by  com- 
mencing at  the  beginning  of  the  first  letter  at  the  left  and  cutting 
the  loop  of  said  letter  around  to  that  point  where  it  may  cross 
another  loop,  or  where  said  loop  terminates  in  a line  of  beauty  ; and 
if  said  line  of  beauty  have  a loop  of  another  letter  curving  around 
it,  we  should,  when  arriving  at  that  point,  throw  out  the  chip  in 
front  of  the  graver,  stop  the  cutting  of  the  loop  or  line  and  cut  the 
loop  around  the  line.  In  other  words,  loops  should  be  cut  first 
where  they  curve  around  vertical  or  angular  lines.  This  is  neces- 
sary, as  a loop  is  more  difficult  to  cut  than  a straight  line,  and 
usually  in  a hair  line,  where  the  vertical  or  angular  lines  getting 
nearly  straight  are  shaded,  if  a shade  stroke  were  cut  first,  a loop 
around  the  shade  stroke  would  have  to  be  cut  by  cutting  up  to  the 
shade  stroke,  then  throwing  the  graver  out  and  raising  it  across  the 
incision  of  the  shade  stroke,  inserting  it  on  the  opposite  side  and 
continuing  the  curve  of  the  loop  around  in  this  manner.  By 
proceeding  in  this  way  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  make  a letter 
untrue.  In  other  words,  it  is  difficult  to  insert  the  graver  on  the 
opposite  side  of  an  incision  where  it  has  been  previously  thrown 
out,  and  begin  it  so  as  to  curve  around  on  exactly  the  same  arc  as 
the  line  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  incision. 


Engraving  on  Spoon  Handles. 


i6i 


The  student  must  not  misunderstand  this  point  and  get  the 
idea  that  it  is  his  duty  to  cut  all  loops  first.  It  is  only  his  duty  to 
cut  such  loops  as  come  in  contact  with  the  vertical  and  angular 
portions  of  the  first  or  any  other  letter  that  he  may  be  cutting. 
After  he  has  cut  such  loops,  he  then  proceeds  with  the  letters  in 
rotation  and  cuts  as  far  as  he  can  without  coming  in  contact  with 
other  loops.  Whenever  a loop  crosses  a shade  stroke,  or  vertical 
stroke,  or  a stroke  nearly  vertical,  such  loop  should  be  cut  first — 
whether  it  is  the  first,  middle  or  last  letter  of  the  monogram. 
By  doing  the  work  in  this  way  our  loops  are  cut  by  a continuous 
stroke,  it  not  being  necessary  to  throw  them  out  in  the  center  or  at 
the  top  or  bottom.  Thus  the  highest  degree  of  accuracy  is  attained. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


LETTERS  ON  SPOON  HANDLES  AND  LOCKETS. 

At  E,  Fig.  172,  is  illustrated  a spoon  handle,  such  as  has  been 
previously  mentioned,  with  a cipher  engraved  thereon,  with  the 
initials  L,  T,  P.  The  illustration  is  intended  to  show  the  student 
how  a little  cut  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  monogram  will  add  to 
its  beauty,  and  also  to  show  the  student  the  size  the  monogram 
should  be  for  a spoon  handle  or  a space  on  a spoon  handle.  It  is 
not  to  be  understood  that  such  little  cuts  as  are  shown  at  the  top 
and  bottom  of  this  monogram  should  always  be  made,  but  in  a space 
at  the  top  and  bottom  such  as  this,  the  engraver  will  see  that  such 
cuts  add  to  the  beauty  of  the  monogram  and  make  the  work  appear 
more  complete. 

At  F,  same  figure,  we  illustrate  a two-letter  monogram,  showing 
how  a loop  of  a B can  swing  down  under  the  E and  the  first  portion 
of  the  B in  order  to  fill  in  the  space  below,  it  being  formed  in 
such  a way  that  the  little  cut  at  the  bottom  will  fill  in  the 
space  below  the  monogram  after  the  style  shown  at  E,  same  figure. 
Monograms  are  sometimes  engraved  on  spoon  handles  horizontally, 
but  usually  they  are  engraved  vertically,  as  here  shown. 

At  G,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  hanging  initials.  This  style  of 
entwining  letters  on  spoon  handles  is  very  popular  and  is  not  difficult 
to  do,  and  the  student  who  will  practice  this  class  of  lettering  will 
find  that  he  can,  after  a little  experience,  throw  the  letters  together 
in  this  way  as  quickly  as  he  can  design  them  perfectly  plain  and 
separately,  and  he  will  also  find  that  this  class  of  lettering  will  please 
his  customers  much  more  than  the  plain  letters.  It  would  not  be 
safe  to  say  that  this  class  of  work  could  be  done  as  quickly  or  quite 
as  easily,  but  the  difference  between  the  amount  of  time  and  skill 
required  to  do  the  work  and  the  plain  letters  is  so  slight  that  it  is 
advisable  in  most  cases  to  engrave  spoons,  where  they  are  sold 
singly,  after  this  style,  unless  otherwise  ordered. 

At  E[,  Fig.  172,  we  show  another  style  of  engraving  spoon 
handles,  known  as  drooping  initials.  The  letters  in  this  case  are 
entwined  similar  to  those  shown  at  G,  and  are  slightly  plainer,  and 
if  the  letter  is  such  a style  that  it  is  practical,  they  should  be 


162 


Letters  on  Spoon  Handles  and  Lockets.  163 

engraved  in  such  a way  as  to  appear  drooping.  The  initials  shown 
here  are  of  such  a form  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  obtain  that 
appearance. 

At  K,  same  figure,  we  illustrate  a spoon  handle  with  the  initial 
S engraved  thereon  in  old  English  in  a size  appropriate  for  the 
space,  which  is  the  point  we  have  endeavored  to  emphasize  in  all 
the  spoon  designs  here  illustrated.  We  show  these  illustrations 
that  the  student  may  form  an  idea  of  the  various  ways  in  which  the 
spoon  handles  can  be  engraved  in  addition  to  the  regular  way.  Of 
course,  it  is  useless  to  show  the  old  English  engraved  horizontally, 
in  plain  script  initials  or  old  English  words,  as  the  student  is  well 
aware  that  this  is  a very  ordinary  way  of  engraving. 

PROPORTIONS  OF  LETTERING  FOR  LOCKETS. 

At  R,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  an  initial  R in  a circle.  The 
circle  is  to  represent  a small  locket  or  a round  space  in  or  on  any 
article.  This  initial  is  here  shown  to  give  the  student  the  idea  of 
the  form  of  the  letter  and  the  size  to  fit  in  such  space.  The  idea 
here  given  is  illustrated  on  a larger  and  more  elaborate  scale  at  T, 
Fig.  172,  where  we  have  the  initial  S in  old  English  made  in  a form 
to  fit  into  the  circle  there  indicated. 

At  K,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  an  oblong  S,  which  is  made  to  fit 
in  an  oblong  space,  and  at  T we  have  the  opposite  effect  to  attain. 
Here  we  have  a round  space,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  the  artist  to 
make  the  letter  as  nearly  as  possible  to  conform  to  the  article  or 
space  in  which  the  letter  is  engraved.  In  this  case  it  is  our  duty  to 
make  the  letters  as  nearly  round  as  possible,  which  we  have  done, 
and  made  the  letter  in  a size  appropriate  for  the  space. 

At  A,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  the  initial  G,  in  old  English, 
engraved  on  what  is  represented  to  be  a heart  locket.  It  is  assumed 
that  the  locket  when  it  comes  to  the  hand  of  the  engraver  is  per- 
fectly plain.  The  little  curves  around  the  letter  have  been  added  to 
show  the  student  that  such  spaces  can  be  filled  in  by  slight  curves 
of  this  description  if  it  is  desired.  The  little  curve  or  loop  at  the 
bottom  of  the  letter  is  simply  a continuation  of  the  letter  itself,  and 
if  artistically  formed  and  engraved  will  enhance  the  artistic  appear- 
ance of  the  letter. 

At  U,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  the  idea  of  engraving  initials  on  a 
heart  reading  upw^ard  diagonally.  If  these  letters  were  engraved 
straight  across  the  locket  they  would  appear  stiff,  while  if  they  are 


t64  The  Art  of  Engraving. 

engraved  diagonally,  as  here  shown,  with  a slight  ornament,  even  a 
straight  line,  above  and  below,  the  work  is  much  more  artistic. 

At  V,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  the  word  “Louise,”  engraved  on 
a locket,  showing  how  the  first  letter  of  a word  in  such  a case  can 
be  ornamented  to  fit  in  the  space,  and  also  to  show  the  advisability 
of  slightly  curving  the  name,  especially  if  it  be  a long  one.  With 
a slight  ornament  above  and  below  the  letter,  and  the  initial  itself 
slightly  ornamented,  the  work  is  much  improved. 

At  W,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  a B on  a heart  locket  formed  in 
such  a way  as  to  fill  in  the  space  as  nearly  as  possible.  It  will  be 
seen  in  all  these  cases  that  it  is  necessary  to  vary  from  the  general 
formation  of  the  letter  to  such  an  extent  as  to  fill  in  the  space  as 
nearly  as  possible  and  yet  not  deform  it  or  make  it  appear  inartistic. 

At  X,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  a cipher  formed  to  fit  into  the 
shape  of  a heart  as  nearly  as  possible.  It  will  be  seen  in  this  case 
that  it  will  be  necessary  to  make  many  more  loops  to  the  monogram 
than  would  be  necessary  if  it  was  round  or  flat  on  top  and  bottom. 
There  are  some  monograms  that  can  be  formed  after  this  style  to 
better  advantage  than  others.  The  one  shown  here  is  one  of  the 
kind  that  is  difhcult  to  form  in  this  way  to  advantage,  and  its 
objectionable  features  are  that  there  are  so  many  loops  that  the 
monogram  is  not  as  readable  as  it  would  be  otherwise. 

At  Fj  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  a regular  monogram  formed 
nearly  the  shape  of  the  heart.  It  will  be  seen  here  that  these  initials 
are  more  appropriate  for  such  a space  than  the  ones  shown  at  W, 
and  that  it  is  possible  to  fill  in  this  space  on  a heart  with  such  initials 
without  any  radical  changes  from  a regular  plain  cipher,  the  prin- 
cipal change  being  in  the  cutting  off  of  the  last  loop  of  the  R and 
throwing  it  around  over  the  line  of  beauty,  as  here  shown. 

We  have  shown  these  illustrations  to  the  student  as  a result  of 
practical  experience  in  engraving,  and  he  will  profit  by  following 
the  instructions  given.  The  important  point  to  be  considered  in 
this  work  is  to  make  the  cipher  initial  or  initials  in  shape  and  size 
appropriate  for  the  article  or  space  on  the  article  allotted  to  the 
letter.  Usually  they  are  too  large,  and  the  student  is  cautioned 
accordingly.  It  is  better  to  make  an  initial  or  monogram  too  small 
than  too  large,  but  if  a little  judgment  is  exercised  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  form  a monogram  or  a letter  of  a size  that  will  be 
perfecty  right.  It  is  our  duty  first  to  learn  howto  cut  a letter,  then 
to  learn  to  cut  the  letter  perfect  ; then  to  learn  to  cut  in  a size  and 
shape  appropriate  for  the  space  or  article  to  be  engraved. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


DESIGNING  AND  ENGRAVING  CIPHERS. 

At  O and  P,  Fig.  172,  we  illustrate  the  initials  B,  M,  R,  en- 
twined in  two  different  styles  of  ciphers.  We  might  use  the  term 
“form”  instead  of  “style,”  as  the  letters  are  both  of  exactly  the 
same  style,  being  plain  ; but  the  form  of  designing  them  as  shown 
at  O is  not  as  closely  entwined  as  shown  at  P.  A few  little  points 
in  reference  to  these  two  monograms  will  start  us  on  our  studies  in 
cipher  work  with  some  knowledge  of  entwining,  as  these  letters 
have  been  chosen  because  they  are  not  easily  entwined. 

The  monogram  shown  at  O would  possibly  be  more  properly 
termed  entwined  script.  The  difference  between  the  entwined 
script  and  the  monogram  or  cipher  is,  in  the  engraver’s  parlance, 
that  entwined  script  is  drawn  out  much  more  than  the  regular 
cipher.  A regular  cipher  or  monogram  is  so  compact  that  it  would 
occupy  a space  either  square,  round  or  oblong.  In  the  case  of  the 
monogram  shown  at  O it  will  be  seen  that  the  first  stroke  or  line 
of  beauty  of  the  M has  a loop  entirely  different  from  the  regular 
loop  shown  at  This  is  necessary,  as  it  is  impossible  to  put  the 
other  style  of  loop  on  to  the  letter  and  make  it  close  to  the  first 
letter.  Even  then  we  find  that  there  is  a slight  vacant  space 
between  the  top  of  the  M and  the  B,  which  is  easily  filled  by  the 
continuation  of  the  line  of  beauty  of  the  B,  curving  it  around  and 
filling  the  space.  Such  little  so-called  tricks  as  this  are  necessary 
in  order  to  become  a skilled  artist  in  monogram  designing. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  space  between  the  first  hair  line  or 
line  of  beauty  of  the  M and  the  second  vertical  hair  line  of  the  M 
and  the  shade  of  same  are  farther  apart  than  the  first  hair  line  and 
shade  stroke.  Usually  the  distance  between  these  two  shade  strokes 
and  the  hair  line  preceding  them  is  the  same,  but  in  this  case  it  will 
be  observed  that  the  shade  stroke  of  the  M at  the  right  is  necessarily 
curved  out  to  the  right  to  allow  room  for  the  loop  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  line  of  beauty  of  the  R and  the  continuation  of  the  loop  of 
the  M to  lock  or  cross.  This  is  done  because  there  is  no  other 
place  where  they  can  be  entwined.  We  must,  in  this  case,  make 


165 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


1 66 

the  loop  of  the  line  of  beauty  of  the  R at  the  bottom  a little  larger 
than  would  be  necessary  otherwise,  which,  of  course,  necessitates 
making  the  top  of  the  R smaller  than  usual.  Therefore,  we  have 
by  necessity  the  top  of  the  B large  and  the  top  of  the  R small,  in 
order  to  fill  in  the  space  around  the  same.  A loop  of  the  style 
shown  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  beauty  of  the  M is  a very  conve- 
nient loop  to  use  in  entwining  monograms  where  the  initials  have 
lines  of  beauty  or  capital  stems,  for  the  reasons  mentioned. 

Referring  to  the  same  initials  in  the  cipher  P,  if  we  study  the 
cipher  we  see  that  it  is  equally  divided,  or  nearly  so,  and  that  the 
highest  point  of  the  cipher  at  the  top  is  in  the  center  of  the  cipher. 
Now,  if  we  study  the  individual  letter,  we  find  that  the  top  loop  of 
the  R appears  to  be  irregular  or  too  high  at  the  extreme  left,  yet 
it  fills  in  the  space  it  should  fill  and  makes  the  highest  point  of  the 
entire  cipher  in  the  center  of  the  same.  In  order  to  allow  room 
for  the  top  of  this  loop  to  curve  around  with  a fair-sized  loop,  it  is 
necessary  to  lower  the  loop  of  the  B around  its  line  of  beauty. 
We  also  find  that  it  is  not  convenient  to  put  either  the  style  of  loop 
shown  at  TV’ or  O in  the  figure  on  the  line  of  beauty  on  the  M in 
this  cipher,  as  there  is  not  room  for  either  one  ; therefore,  it  must 
be  cut  off  as  here  shown. 

It  will  be  seen  that  if  we  put  either  of  the  styles  of  loops  on, 
there  would  be  crowding,  but  as  it  is,  it  locks  into  the  other  letters 
sufficiently,  owing  to  its  proximity  to  the  B,  by  simply  making  a 
dot  at  the  end  of  the  line.  It  will  also  be  seen  that  it  is  convenient 
in  this  case  to  cut  off  the  last  loop  of  the  R and  make  instead  a 
dot,  as  in  the  case  of  the  M.  By  doing  this  we  have  the  cipher 
with  an  oval  top  and  a flat  base  and  the  angles  of  the  right  and  left 
sides  about  equal,  which  some  spaces  would  necessitate,  and  in 
order  to  meet  those  cases  we  show  this  cipher  with  loops  cut  off  in 
this  way.  We  do  not  mean  that  the  student  should  understand 
that  this  is  the  best  and  only  way  that  these  three  letters  should  be 
entwined.  They  are  entwined  in  this  manner  simply  to  show  how 
changes  can  be  made  from  the  general  form  of  a letter  in  order  to 
entwine  to  best  advantage. 

Ciphers  can  be  engraved  either  bright  cut  or  fine  line,  the  style 
depending  on  the  article  to  be  engraved.  If  a cipher  is  to  be  en- 
graved on  a polished  tea  spoon  or  any  sterling  silver  article  highly 
polished,  it  is  advisable  to  either  cut  fine  lines  with  an  unpolished 
graver  or  to  cut  it  in  the  style  of  bright  cut  with  an  unpolished 


Designing  a7id  Engraving  Ciphers. 


167 


graver.  Some  skilled  engravers  have  been  criticised  for  engraving 
with  an  unpolished  graver  on  polished  metals,  the  criticism  being 
that  the  cuts  were  ragged,  the  critic  believing  that  the  skill  of  the 
engraver  is  manifested  in  his  ability  to  cut  a bright  cut.  Of  course, 
this  is  an  erroneous  idea.  The  reason  an  unpolished  graver  is  used 
on  a polished  surface  is  to  produce  a contrast  between  the  surface  of 
the  metal  and  the  lines  cut.  It  has  been  said  before,  and  a repeti- 
tion will  do  no  harm,  that  the  aim  of  the  engraver  is  to  produce 
a contrast  and  effect  to  the  best  advantage.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  it  would  be  unwise  to  cut  a bright-cut  stroke  on  a polished  sur- 
face and  a ragged  stroke  on  a deadened  surface  in  order  to  produce 
the  best  effects.  Therefore,  the  student  is  advised  to  engrave  all 
polished  surfaces  with  an  unpolished  graver. 

We  have  said  before  that  the  stone  to  be  used  should  not  be  a 
very  coarse  one.  The  graver  should  be  finished  on  a very  hard, 
fine  stone,  as  a coarse  stone  would  leave  the  graver  in  too  rough  a 
condition  to  cut  smoothly.  The  incision  should  be  cut  smooth  but 
not  polished.  We  do  not  mean  when  we  say  an  incision  should  be 
cut  with  an  unpolished  graver  that  the  cuts  should  be  necessarily 
ragged  and  rough,  but  a deadened  appearance  should  be  produced, 
clean,  but  not  bright  or  polished.  Fine-line  engraving,  such  as  we 
mentioned  and  described  in  reference  to  fine-line  old  English  is  the 
most  beautiful  of  all  the  styles  of  engraving  and  perhaps  requires  as 
much  skill  to  execute  properly  as  any  other.  In  cutting  fine  lines 
the  graver  should  always  be  unpolished,  it  matters  not  where  or  on 
what  the  lines  are  cut. 

Some  engravers  use  a polished  graver  for  cutting  a fine-line 
monogram  on  a deadened  surface.  This,  generally  speaking,  is 
unwise,  as  a satin  or  French  gray  finished  article  could  be  engraved 
with  a bright-cut  monogram,  and  if  a bright-cut  monogram  was  not 
wanted  there  are  other  styles  of  outlined  monograms  which  we  will 
describe  later  on  that  could  be  used.  Of  course,  if  a customer  re- 
quests a fine-line  monogram  it  will  be  our  duty  to  cut  it,  and  then 
an  unpolished  graver  should  be  used,  unless  it  is  a very  cheap  arti- 
cle, in  which  case  the  polished  graver  could  be  used  even  in  cutting- 
fine  lines  to  produce  an  effect. 

In  cutting  ciphers  the  all-important  feature  to  be  borne  in  mind 
is  that  loops  of  letters  or  bars  should  not  be  made  so  close  together 
that  they  appear  crowded.  Whenever  a loop  is  made  so  that  it 
comes  near  to  another  loop  it  is  advisable  to  stretch  it  a little  more 


i68 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


and  have  it  hook  into  the  loop.  The  great  trouble  with  most  ciphers 
is  that  they  do  not  produce  a harmonious  or  uniform  appearance. 
A cipher  should  be  so  formed  that  the  space  occupied  by  it  is 
nearly  uniformly  filled  in  by  bars  or  loops  of  the  letters.  This  is  a 
point  that  is  largely  overlooked  by  some  of  our  artists  in  cipher 
work.  We  often  see  a beautifully  cut  cipher  crowded  in  some 
places  and  space  sufficent  for  relief  of  such  crowding  left  in  others. 

One  point  of  advice  to  be  followed  by  the  student  is  to  cross  all 
vertical  lines  with  loops  as  nearly  as  possible  at  right  angles,  always 
endeavoring  to  avoid  crowding  and  never  form  one  loop  to  run  par- 
allel with  another.  We  might  even  say  that  parallelism  should  be 
entirely  avoided  in  cipher  work.  We  do  not  mean  that  all  the  capi- 
tal stems  and  lines  of  beauty  of  letters  should  not  be  parallel  with 
one  another  and  perpendicular.  It  is  necessary  in  some  cases  to 
have  bars  of  letters  run  parallel  one  with  another,  even  though  they 
are  close  together.  This  would  be  the  case  if  we  were  to  have  a V 
for  the  first  letter  and  an  A for  the  second.  It  is  necessary  in  this 
case  that  these  lines  run  parallel  with  one  another.  To  entirely 
avoid  parallelism  in  ciphers  never  allow  one  loop  to  run  parallel 
with  another  and  never  allow  one  loop  to  curve  around  entirely 
within  another  loop. 

Such  a case  as  the  one  cited  above  is  very  rare.  If  the  points 
mentioned  in  reference  to  crossing  all  bars  and  loops  of  letters  as 
nearly  as  possible  at  right  angles,  avoiding  lines  running  parallel 
with  one  another  and  equally  dividing  the  lines  in  the  space  alloted 
for  the  cipher,  were  followed,  the  student  would  in  time  find  cipher 
engraving  very  easy.  The  trouble  with  students  in  engraving 
ciphers  is  that  after  they  have  designed  the  cipher  they  are  some- 
what confused  by  its  apparently  conglomerated  state.  It  might  be 
safe  to  say  that  they  get  lost  in  their  design.  By  this  we  mean  that 
they  fail  to  see  the  individual  letter.  It  is  a difficult  matter  for  a 
beginner  to  see  the  letter  separately  and  then  see  the  entire  cipher 
at  the  same  time.  We  do  not  mean  by  this  that  he  is  to  keep  in 
his  vision  the  entire  cipher,  but  that  he  is,  while  studying  and  work- 
ing on  a single  letter,  to  consider  and  observe  its  relation  to  the 
cipher  as  a whole. 

All  loops  in  the  monogram  should  be  absolutely  perfect  and  all 
bars  and  limbs  of  the  letter  should  be  perfect  in  their  angle  or 
whatever  form  they  may  be  made  in.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  make  a 
perfect  letter  in  a cipher  as  it  is  to  make  a perfect  letter  separately. 


Designmg  ayid  Engraving  Ciphers.  169 

The  trouble  with  a student  is,  as  above  stated,  that  he  loses  himself 
in  the  combination.  He  cuts  the  bars  but  does  not  exactly  see  the 
individual  letter,  and  if  his  design  is  at  all  out  of  the  way  the  com- 
plete cipher  will  be  likewise. 

In  designing  ciphers  it  has  been  said  by  some  so-called  expert 
engravers  that  when  any  three  letters  are  mentioned  to  them  they 
can  see  before  their  mind’s  eye  the  cipher  as  they  would  sketch  it. 
It  is  needless  for  me  to  say  that  such  a mental  feat  is  impossible,  as 
no  one  can  see  before  his  mind’s  eye  the  entire  combination  of  any 
three  letters.  It  is  possible,  of  course,  for  an  engraver  to  gain 
some  idea  the  moment  three  letters  are  mentioned  to  him  as  to  how 
he  would  sketch  them,  but  to  see  the  entire  combination  in  detail 
is  impossible. 

In  working  on  a cipher,  when  we  first  select  the  letters  to  be 
used  we  start  out  with  the  first  letter  and  make  the  main  bar  of  the 
same.  Then,  as  we  study  in  our  mind  what  the  form  of  the  fol- 
lowing letter  wall  be,  we  find  before  completing  the  first  letter  that 
it  can  be  changed  in  such  a way  as  to  fit  or  allow  for  some  portion 
of  the  letter  to  follow,  and  so  on,  between  the  second  and  third 
letters.  In  sketching  a cipher  at  first  it  should  be  sketched  by 
broken  lines,  making  no  attempt  to  draw  it  perfectly.  The  sketch- 
ing should  be  done  very  delicately  at  first.  Then  if  any  change  is 
required  as  the  engraver  proceeds  it  can  be  made  without  mixing 
the  cipher  up  and  confusing  the  engraver  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
may  become  disgusted  with  his  design. 

In  designing  a cipher  the  engraver  should  go  about  his  work 
very  deliberately  and  very  carefully,  but  no  attempt,  as  above 
stated,  should  be  made  to  draw  the  letter  accurately.  We  often 
see  engravers  designing  ciphers  on  paper  for  a trial  before  placing 
them  on  the  article.  This  is  advisable  and  should  always  be  done 
by  beginners.  They  should  not  bear  on  their  pencil  so  heavily  as 
to  make  a very  dark  and  heavy  line.  Sketching  should  be  done 
free  hand,  allowing  the  hand  to  rest  upon  the  third  and  fourth 
fingers  very  freely,  giving  perfect  freedom  to  the  index  finger  and 
the  thumb,  and  it  should  be  done  in  broken  lines  and  very  finely. 
This  leaves  an  opportunity  for  us  to  make  such  changes  as  the 
complete  combination  or  the  combination  nearing  completion  would 
require. 

It  is  considered  by  many  engravers  very  difficult  to  design  a 
cipher  in  a circle.  This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  do  not  follow 


lyo  The  Art  *of  E?igraving. 

the  rudiments.  By  proceeding  properly  it  is  no  more  difficult  to 
design  a cipher  round  than  square,  or  any  other  shape.  We  know 
of  engravers  who  would  take  a watch  case  and  proceed  to  design  a 
cipher  on  it  perfectly  round  without  the  aid  of  any  circle  or  other 
lines,  and  very  often  in  such  cases  the  result  would  be  that  the 
cipher  was  to  one  side  or  the  other.  Such  a guesswork  method  as 
this  should  be  carefully  avoided. 

At  Fig.  173  we  illustrate  a circle  with  a vertical  and  three 
horizontal  lines.  If  we  want  to  engrave  a plain  cipher  on  a watch 
case  we  take  the  compasses  and  allow  one  point 
to  rest  against  the  edge  of  the  case  and  the 
other  to  protrude  over  the  case  to  such  a dis- 
tance as  it  is  desired  to  engrave  the  cipher  from 
the  edge,  thereby  making  the  circle  around 
the  case  the  size  that  it  is  desired  to  make  the 
cipher.  After  making  this  circle  it  is  needless 
to  say  it  is  designed  through  the  wax.  The 
vertical  line  is  drawn  from  the  pendant  to  the 
center  of  the  hinge  below.  Then  the  horizontal  line  is  drawn 
across  the  center  of  the  same.  Then  a line  above  and  below  said 
horizontal  line  as  shown  at  Fig.  173.  Now,  assuming  that  we  have 
at  this  point  learned  how  to  design  a cipher  flat  on  the  top  and 
bottom  and  nearly  square,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  place  the 
same  in  the  circle  here  shown,  allowing  the  top  of  the  cipher  to 
protrude  up  to  the  line  A A and  drop  down  to  the  line  B B.  We 
have  now  the  first  and  last  letter  as  near  the  form  of  the  circle  as  is 
possible  with  slight  changes  near  that  portion  of  the  letter  next 
to  the  vertical  line.  In  order  to  make  the  cipher,  it  matters  not 
what  the  letters  may  be,  perfectly  round  or  nearly  so,  all  that  is 
necessary  to  do  is  to  change  our  design  above  the  line  A A and 
below  the  line  B B.  By  this  change  we  mean  simplv  to  drop  the 
center  letter,  or  such  portions  of  it  as  can  be  changed,  down  below 
the  line  B B,  and  to  raise  it,  or  such  portions  of  it  as  can  be  raised, 
above  the  line  A A. 

To  more  thoroughly  explain  this  point  we  illustrate  at  Fig.  174 
a cipher  of  the  initials  T,  R,  S designed  with  flat  top  and  flat  base. 
The  dotted  line  will  indicate  how,  after  making  a design  in  this 
way,  we  can  simply  drop  the  loops  down  and  make  the  cipher 
nearly  round.  Any  intelligent  student  following  these  instruc- 
tions will  experience  little  or  no  difficulty,  while  if  he  were  to 


Fig.  173 


Desig7iing  ayid  Eiigraving  Ciphey's.  17 1 

attempt  to  engrave  the  cipher  in  a circle  without  the  aid  of  this 
method  he  would  find  it  quite  difficult  to  do.  It  is  often  necessary 
to  engrave  a cipher  oblong.  In  this  case  the  engraver  must  make 
his  letters  long  and  slim,  and  his  loops  oblong 
instead  of  rounding.  By  so  doing  he  will  find  it 
no  more  difficult  to  make  the  oblong  cipher  than 
the  square  or  rounding  one,  except  that  it  is  nec- 
essary to  make  the  letters  closer  together,  inas- 
much as  the  proximity  of  the  letters  requires  the 
highest  degree  of  accuracy,  there  being  no  room 
for  any  irregularities  or  variations  of  the  letters. 

We  often  have  ciphers  to  engrave  in  the  bottoms  of  oblong 
dishes  or  trays.  An  example  of  this  style  is  shown  at  Fig.  175, 
where  we  illustrate  an  outline  of  a button  or  pin  tray.  Now,  in 


order  to  engrave  a cipher  in  a tray  of  this  kind,  we  first  caliper  a 
line  around  the  inside  as  indicated  here  by  the  dotted  lines.  Then 
w^e  make  our  cipher  what  might  be  termed  rounding  script,  with 
the  letters  drawn  out  so  as  to  fill  the  space  within  the  dotted  lines 
as  nearly  as  possible. 

Another  style  of  engraving  ciphers  in  a tray  of  this  kind  would 
be  to  make  the  letters  after  the  style  shown  at  G,  Fig.  172,  hanging 
or  drooping  letters.  There  are  many  forms  of  cipher  monograms 
all  of  which  are  engraved  in  the  same  general  style,  and  the  general 
rules  in  reference  to  their  construction  are  the  same. 

A cipher  with  the  top  tipped  in  is  very  desirable  for  some 
spaces  and  is  well  adapted  to  cigarette  boxes,  match  boxes  and 
some  styles  of  trays.  However,  it  is  not  necessary  that  a student 


172 


The  Art  of  Ejigraving. 


in  engraving  should  make  all  of  these  different  forms  of  ciphers. 
The  ciphers  that  we  have,  and  will  illustrate,  will  be  the  principal 
styles  used  and  will  suffice  in  all  ordinary  cases. 

Having  briefly  considered  the  method  of  designing  ciphers  and 
the  different  styles  of  the  same,  we  will  now  consider  ornamenting 
them.  The  beginner,  as  a rule,  does  not  like  perfectly  plain  work, 
as  he  never  feels  that  he  is  a perfect  master  of  his  business  until  he 
is  able  to  do  all  styles  of  fancy  engraving.  This  is  a wrong  idea. 
A student  should  remember  that  perfectly  plain  work  calls  for  the 
highest  degree  of  accuracy,  and  accuracy  should  be  first  attained. 
No  attempt  should  be  made  to  ornament  a cipher  until  after  one  has 
become  sufficiently  skilled  to  engrave  the  letters  perfectly  in  detail. 

It  is  a very  common  error  with  unskilled  engravers  to  cover 
up  their  deficiencies,  and  we  might  say  blunders,  by  ornamenting 
the  letters.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  is  entirely  wrong  ; that  a 
cipher  should  be  ornamented  only  in  order  that  its  beauty  may  be 
enhanced,  and  we  cannot  enhance  its  beauty  if  it  is  not  perfectly 
accurate  to  commence  with.  Of  course,  to  an  easily  satisfied 
customer  the  ornamentation  may  cover  up  the  errors,  but  it  is  un- 
wise to  resort  to  such  a scheme. 

But  the  beginner  may  ask  what  shall  he  do  in  case  the  graver 
slips  and  a line  is  made  in  a place  or  direction  where  it  is  not  wanted. 
If  a graver  is  in  perfect  order  it  is  very  seldom  that  it  will  slip. 
Of  course,  it  is  possible  that  the  point  will  break  off  the  graver 
when  in  the  metal,  and  unknown  to  the  operator,  in  which  case  it 
is  possible,  and  very  probable,  that  it  would  slip,  but  a graver  in 
the  hands  of  a skilled  operator  will  not  slip  far  enough  to  do  any 
great  damage  as  a rule,  as  the  delicacy  of  touch,  or  feeling  of  the 
hand,  of  the  skilled  engraver  is  such  that  the  moment  the  point  of 
the  graver  is  broken  off  and  deviates  a little  in  its  course  he  knows 
that  there  is  something  wrong,  and  even  if  he  does  not  learn  of  it 
before  the  graver  does  slip  out,  he  is  so  skilled  in  its  use,  and  so 
sensitive  to  its  every  move  that  the  slip  will  be  a very  slight  one, 
in  which  case  it  can  be  easily  burnished  with  a jeweler’s  hand 
burnish  ; it  being  borne  in  mind  that  the  burnishing  should  always 
be  done  lengthwise  of  the  incision  and  never  crosswise. 

Sometimes  it  is  possible  that  a slip  will  be  sufficiently  deep  and 
long  that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  burnish  it  out  entirely.  In  such 
a case,  a scraper  sold  by  any  jobbing  or  material  house,  and  used 
extensively  by  jewelers,  is  to  be  used.  This  scraper  scrapes  off  the 


Designmg  and  Engravmg  Ciphers. 


173 


surface  of  the  metal.  After  its  use  the  surface  should  be  Scotch- 
stoned  and  then  burnished  and  polished,  after  which  the  engraving- 
in  the  location  of  the  repairs  should*  be  recut.  Of  course,  if  the 
article  in  hand  were  one  with  a French  gray,  satin  or  Roman  gold 
finish,  or  any  finish  other  than  a polished  one,  we  could  not  use 
this  method.  In  those  cases  it  would  be  necessary  to  refinish  the 
article,  and  if  this  could  not  be  done  the  only  remedy  would  be 
to  allow  the  slip  to  remain  as  it  was  made  and  ornament  the  cipher 
regardless  of  it  ; not  attempting  to  make  an  ornament  out  of  the 
cut  unless  it  should  by  good  fortune  happen  to  be  of  such  a kind 
that  this  could  be  done. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


ENTWINED  AND  ORNAMENTAL  CIPHERS. 


At  Fig.  176  we  illustrate  a watch  case  as  it  would  appear  after 
the  cipher  is  sketched  on  through  the  designing  wax  or  Chinese 
white.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  letters  are  made  by  a series  of 
broken  short  lines  and  are  sketched  delicately,  so  that  any  change 
that  is  desired  can  be  made.  It  matters  not  what  style  the  cipher 

is  to  be,  it  should  always  be  designed 
after  the  manner  of  the  above  men- 
tioned sketch.  In  any  cipher  or  mon- 
ogram work  it  is  our  first  duty  to  lay 
out  the  cipher  in  the  rough  sketch,  as 
here  shown,  perfectly  plain.  Then 
such  ornaments  as  we  may  desire  to 
use  are  added.  By  this  method  the 
student  will  never  become  perplexed 
in  the  combination.  If  the  design  is 
first  made  perfectly  plain,  then  the 
ornaments  can  be  added  in  such  places 
and  on  such  bars  and  in  such  a form 
as  to  fit  in  and  beautify  the  letters.  It 
is  an  erroneous  idea  that  a great  many 
engravers  have  that  in  making  a fancy 
monogram  they  must  design  the  ornaments  as  they  are  advancing 
with  the  general  form  of  the  letter.  A trial  will  convince  the  most 
skeptical  that  a design  made  perfectly  plain  and  then  ornamented, 
can  be  made  much  more  artistic. 

Many  of  our  engravers  are  of  the  opinion  that  a monogram 
should  be  entwined  regardless  of  its  legibility.  One  of  the  para- 
mount points  to  be  considered  in  reference  to  monogram  work  is 
the  simplicity  of  the  letters.  All  of  the  loops  should  not  be  added 
in  a cipher  if  they  interfere  with  other  loops  that  are  necessary  in 
completing  the  general  form  of  any  of  the  letters.  It  will  be  often 
found  convenient  to  cut  off  some  of  the  loops  of  letters,  that  is, 
superfluous  loops.  The  loops  and  bars  forming  the  general  founda- 
tion of  the  letter  should  always  be  made  as  nearly  complete  as 


Fig.  176 


174 


Entwined  and  Ornamental  Ciphers. 


175 


possible,  and  should  be  formed  in  such  a way  as  to  fill  in  and 
balance  up  the  monogram  perfectly.  There  should  be  no  crowding 
of  the  loops  or  bars,  and  the  spaces  should  be  filled  in  by  changing 
the  forms  of  the  loops  in  such  a way  as  to  balance  the  monogram. 
It  will  be  considered  by  some  impossible  to  do  this,  but  there  are 
very  few  combinations  that  cannot  be  made  to  balance  well. 

ORNAMENTING  CIPHERS. 

When  cutting  a cipher  on  britannia  metal,  or  in  any  soft  metal 
in  bright  cut,  if  the  cipher  is  a large  one,  it  should  be  cut  with  a 
flat-face  graver,  the  width  of  which  should  be  a little  more  than  the 
widest  part  of  the  shade  strokes.  After  the  cipher  has  been 
engraved  in  this  way  a fine  line  should  be  engraved  along  the  edge 
of  the  shade  stroke  at  that  point  where  the  surface  of  the  letter  and 
the  incline  of  the  incision  meet.  This  line  often  enables  an  engraver 
to  correct  any  variations  of  the  width  of  the  shade  stroke  which 
may  exist  owing  to  the  unsteadiness  of  the  hand,  or  possibly  the 
spring  of  the  metal  when  engraving.  A square  graver  can  be  used 
for  cutting  a bright-cut  cipher,  providing  it  is  very  small,  but,  as 
above  stated,  the  flat-face  graver  should  be  used  for  cutting  large 
ones.  In  cutting  the  hair  line  of  even  a large  cipher  the  square 
graver  can  be  used  if  the  engraver  so  desires.  Some  engravers  use 
the  flat-face  graver  for  the  entire  work. 

Having  briefly  considered  forming  and  sketching  ciphers, 
together  with  the  method  of  cutting  same,  and  assuming  that  the 
student  will  practice  the 
plain  ciphers  diligently  be- 
fore any  attempt  is  made  to 
ornament  them,  we  will  now 
proceed  with  what  is  known 
as  the  lily  ornament  for 
bright-cut  ciphers. 

At  Fig.  177  we  illus- 
trate a line  of  beauty  with 
the  ornament  known  as  the 
lily  ornament  added  thereto. 

We  are  pardoned  for  using 
the  term  ‘ ‘ lily  ’ ’ ornament  in  this  case  from  the  fact  that  it  resem- 
bles to  some  extent  the  general  form  of  the  lily.  In  cutting  this 
stroke  the  graver  is  thrown  out  at  C,  and  then  inserted  again 


176 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


at  B,  and  the  little  cut  indicated  by  said  line  is  cut  around  to  C,  as 
in  finishing  the  end  of  a capital  stem  of  a regular  script  letter.  The 
ornament  as  here  shown  is  disconnected.  This  is  not  as  it  should 
be.  The  stroke  should  be  connected,  but  it  is  disconnected  here  to 
show  the  student  where  the  two  cuts  come  together.  After  making 
this  cut,  the  cut  at  the  right  is  made  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow 
with  one  stroke.  After  this  stroke  the  little  cut  is  made  by  starting 
on  the  original  line  and  cutting  almost  straight  downward,  as  shown 
at  D D.  This  stroke  on  a larger  scale,  to  show  its  exact  form,  is 
illustrated  at  E.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  cut  is  not  as  blunt  on  the 
end  as  it  would  be  if  the  graver  were  lifted  directly  out.  When 
throwing  the  graver  out  at  the  extreme  lower  end  it  is  not  lifted 
directly  up,  but  is  forced  a little  forward  as  it  is  lifted  out  of  the 
metal,  thereby  elongating  the  end  of  the  cut. 

It  will  be  remembered  in  referring  back  to  plain  script  work  that 
this  is  the  style  of  throwing  out  the  end  of  the  hair  line  at  the  top  of 
the  R and  S in  lower-case  script.  This  ornament  is  made  the  same 
on  the  hair  line  as  on  the  shade  strokes,  excepting  that  on  the 
shade  strokes  it  is  cut  a trifle  heavier,  and  when  on  the  hair  lines 
the  dots  indicated  by  the  initials  ////are  cut  preceding  and  follow- 
ing the  same,  and  varying  in  their  size  as  here  indicated.  These 
cuts  are  made  with  a round-face  graver,  the  heavy  ones  being  cut 
deeper  than  the  little  ones.  By  decreasing  the  width  of  the 
incision  the  dots  are  reduced  in  size. 

Referring  to  that  portion  of  the  line  of  beauty  at  Fig.  177, 
indicated  by  the  line  J/  it  will  be  seen  that  we  have  one-half  of  the 
ornament  in  question  on  the  inside  of  this  curve.  It  will  be  found 
in  making  ciphers  that  there  are  a great  many  little  places  that  can 
be  filled  in  artistically  by  making  such  cuts.  It  is  not  always  conve- 
nient to  make  the  ornament  complete  owing  to  its  proximity  to 
another  line  or  loop.  Hence  the  advisability  of  making  few  orna- 
ments. This  style  of  an  ornament  is 
more  appropriate  for  a small  bright- 
cut  cipher  than  for  any  other.  We 
would  suggest  that  it  be  not  used  on 
fine-line  ciphers  or  on  very  large 
bright-cut  ciphers.  Very  large  bright- 
cut  ciphers  should  be  cut  only  of  such 
size  as  can  be  done  with  a flat-face  graver,  and  an  ornament  should 
be  cut  something  after  the  style  of  the  one  illustrated  at  Fig.  177,  a 


Entwmed  and  Ornamental  Ciphers.  177 

portion  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  178.  These  cuts  are  cut  with  a 
flat-face  graver  shading  inward  by  cutting  in  the  direction  of  the 
arrows.  After  these  strokes  are  made,  as  shown  at  Fig.  178,  a 
hair  line  is  cut  on  the  inside  of  same,  as  shown  at  Fig.  179. 

After  these  are  cut  the  graver  is  inserted 
at  the  point  where  these  little  cuts  separate 
from  the  original  one,  which  point  is  indi- 
cated by^,  Fig.  180.  The  graver  starts  in 
with  a flne  line  and  curves  around,  gradu- 
ally increasing  in  width  until  the  end,  as 
shown.  This  line  should  be  so  cut  as  to 
gradually  creep  away  from  the  original 
stroke  so  as  to  leave  a little  surface  between, 
as  here  illustrated,  and  the  end  of  this  last 
line  should  not  connect  with  the  original  one, 
thus  leaving  a slight  opening  and  producing  a desired  effect.  In 
cutting  this  last  line,  as  at  B,  Fig.  180,  the  graver  is  inserted  at  the 
opposite  end  from  the  point  of  beginning  of  the  first  one,  shown  at 
and  cut  around  to  the  point  where  the  original  stroke  and  the 
second  stroke  separate.  In  cutting  in  this  way  it  is  necessary,  of 
course,  to  commence  the  stroke  heavy  at  C,  and 
as  it  is  cut  around  in  the  direction  of  the  arrow  to 
diminish  the  width  of  the  incision.  The  object  of 
cutting  this  stroke  in  a direction  opposite  to  the 
one  on  the  other  side  is  that  it  enables  the  operator 
to  curve  to  the  right,  which  is  the  most  advanta- 
geous way  to  cut  curved  strokes.  Of  course,  it 
would  be  practical  to  use  the  opposite  corner  of 
the  graver  to  the  one  ordinarily  used  in  operating 
the  flat-face  graver,  and  cut  this  line  in  the  same 
direction  as  the  one  shown  at  A.  There  is  no  objection  to  doing  it 
in  this  way  if  the  operator  so  desires. 

At  Fig.  181  we  illustrate  the  line  of  beauty  of  a cipher  shaded 
with  what  is  known  as  the  chop-cut  ornament.  We  have  placed 
the  ornaments  thereon  as  they  would  appear  if  this 
line  of  beauty  were  a portion  of  a completed  letter. 

At  Fig.  182  we  illustrate  the  method  of  forming  these 
cuts  on  a large  scale.  They  are  cut  by  starting  in  at 
the  pointed  end  and  cutting  deeper  and  heavier  as  the  graver  ad- 
vances. It  will  be  seen  that  they  are  separated  sufficiently  at  the 


178 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


beginning  so  that  when  the  cut  is  thrown  out  the  ends  of  the  same 
will  exactly  meet.  There  should  be  no  space  between  the  ends  of 
the  cuts. 

These  three  ornaments  are  those  mostly  used  in  bright-cut 
ciphers.  The  last  mentioned  is  also  used  very  extensvely  on 
fine-line  ciphers. 


The  method  of  cutting  fine  lines  has  been 
thoroughly  described,  and  further  mention  of  it 
is  not  necessary  at  this  time.  It  suffices  to  add 
that  an  appropriate  ornament  for 
fine-line  ciphers  is  shown  at 
Fig.  183. 

At  Fig.  184  we  illustrate 
this  ornament  on  a large  scale, 


Fig.  183 


making  the  method  of  cutting 


Fig.  184 


same  perfectly  plain  to  the  stu- 
dent. It  will  be  seen  that  the  ornament  is  very  similar  to  the  one 
described  and  illustrated  at  Fig.  177.  The  method  of  cutting  it  is 
exactly  the  same,  with  the  exception  of  the  little  twisted  hair  line, 
starting  from  the  division  of  the  outer  and  inner  cuts.  Some 
engravers  prefer  to  cut  these  little  hair  lines  in,  some  to  cut  them 
out.  It  matters  not  which  way  they  are  cut  so  long  as  the  best 
results  are  attained.  They  are  begun  quite  heavily  and  decrease 
in  the  width  as  they  are  cut,  and  should  curve  around,  as  shown. 
These  cuts  can  be  divided  up  in  the  same  proportions  as  the 
others.  This  ornament  is  more  appropriate  for  fine  line  than 
any  other. 

Having  learned  all  the  preliminaries  in  cipher  work,  where  the 
hair  lines  are  made  of  a single  stroke,  and  the  shade  strokes  in 
proportion  thereto,  based  upon  the  principles  of  formation  of  the 
plain  script  letters,  we  are  now  ready  to  advance  to  the  more 
difficult  study  of  ciphers  and  study  the  method  of  cutting  them 
on  a larger  scale  or  in  a style  appropriate  for  a larger  scale. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  convince  the  student  that  a regular 
fine-line  cipher  can  be  cut  by  making  the  hair  lines  wider  than  a 
single  stroke.  This  would  increase  the  width  of  the  cipher,  making 
it  heavier  throughout.  A cipher  cut  after  this  style  would  be  more 
on  the  order  of  a parallel-line  cipher  or  a ribbon  monogram, 
excepting  that  the  letter  would,  of  course,  not  be  irregular. 


Entwined  and  Ornamental  Ciphers, 


179 


RIBBON  CIPHERS. 


B 


Fig.  185 


Fig.  1G5A 


A ribbon  cipher  should  first  be  designed  perfectly  plain,  as 
illustrated  on  the  watch  case,  shown  at  Fig.  176.  After  sketching 
the  cipher  in  this  manner  it  is  again  gone  over  and  the  form  modi- 
fied to  represent  the  ribbon  style  of  letter,  which  is  simply  shaded 
and  twisted  at  the  ends,  as  here  shown.  This  twisting  of  the  ends 
and  other  strokes  of  the  letters  is  done  by  making  the  lines  com- 
posing the  letter  all  radiate  or  emanate  from  one  given  point,  as 
shown  at  B,  Fig.  185.  Now,  all  that  is 
necessary  in  order  to  make  this 
stroke  appear  to  be  twisted  over 
is  to  cut  the  stroke  shown  at  C 
a trifle  heavier  at  the  point  indi- 
cated by  D and  allow  it  to  cross 
the  line  E at  the  point  D.  Then 
all  the  lines  at  F should  radiate 
from  that  point.  One  of  the 

great  difficulties  in  cutting  ribbon  ciphers  is  that  the  engravers  do 
not  cut  their  lines  accurately.  In  fine-line  work  or  in  ribbon  work, 
or  any  style  of  ciphers  composed  of  a series  of 
fine  lines  or  parallel  lines,  they  should  radiate 
from  the  same  point  and  not  disappear  or  run 
into  one  another  before  they  arrive  at  their  des- 
tination. To  give  the  student  an  idea  of  the 
form  of  a ribbon  letter  we  show  the  initial  B 
at  Fig.  186,  the  general  construction  of  which 
will  be  seen  is  the  same  as  a plain  cipher 
initial,  the  location  of  the  shading  simply 
having  been  changed.  If  a student  should 
attempt  to  design  a cipher  in  the  ribbon  form 
at  first  he  would  find  it  almost  an  impossibility,  but  if  he  will  follow 
our  advice  to  make  all  ciphers  perfectly  plain  first  in  a delicate 
sketch  and  then  make  such  modifications  as  the  form  or  style  of  the 
cipher  desired  would  require,  he  will  experience  little  difficulty  in 
making  such  modifications  to  suit  the  style  wanted. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


PARALLEL  LINE  CIPHERS. 

The  next  style  of  cipher  to  be  considered  is  one  of  the 
most  difficult,  if  not  the  most  difficult  style  of  cipher  to  engrave. 
It  is  known  as  the  parallel  line  cipher.  We  cannot  technically  apply 
the  appellation  of  parallel  line  to  this  style  of  cipher,  because  the 
bars  of  the  letter  vary  in  width  ; therefore,  technically  speaking, 
the  lines  would  not  be  parallel,  but  they  are  so  nearly  so  that  the 
most  appropriate  name  for  this  kind  of  cipher  would  be  the  one 
above  given. 

It  is  difficult  to  cut  a plain  parallel  line  cipher  composed  of 
lines  an  equal  distance  apart,  except  when  the  bars  of  the  letters 
increase  and  diminish,  in  which  case,  of  course,  the  lines  increase 
and  diminish  in  distance  apart  and  widths  accordingly.  The  line 
on  the  lower  right  side  of  a bar,  or  limb,  of  a letter  should  be  cut 
a very  little  heavier  than  others  in  a plain  parallel  line  cipher. 
Then  the  others  should  all  be  exactly  the  same  width  and  the  same 
distance  apart  according  to  the  oval  of  the  bar  of  the  letter.  Such 
lines  are  shown  at  Fig.  185  A.  A cipher  of  this  kind  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  cut,  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  is  difficult  to  make  the  lines  so 
close  together,  and  yet  leave  a small  amount  of  surface  between 
them.  Indeed,  the  lines  run  so  very  close  together  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  not  to  allow  one  to  come  up  to  the  edge  of  the  other, 
which  of  course  would  not  be  correct.  A cipher  of  this  kind  should 
not  be  cut  very  small.  The  engraver  should  use  judgment  in 
selecting  the  style  of  cipher  to  suit  the  size.  It  is  not  practical  to 
engrave  a parallel  line  cipher  very  small  for  obvious  reasons. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  the  most  diffi- 
cult cipher  to  cut  correctly  from  the 
standpoint  of  accurate  wielding  of  the 
graver  is  what  is  known  as  an  oval 
parallel  line  cipher.  Such  a cipher, 
slightly  ornamented  with  a plain  leaf,  is 
shown  at  Fig.  187.  It  will  not  be 
necessary  for  us  to  illustrate  this  cipher 


180 


Parallel  Line  Ciphers. 


i8i 


plain,  as  the  student  will  readily  see  that  the  ornaments  could  be 
easily  dispensed  with  and  the  cipher  composed  of  perfectly  plain 
parallel  lines  made  in  such  a way  as  to  make  the  bars  of  the  letter 
appear  oval.  This  effect  is  produced  by  diminishing  the  proximity 
of  the  lines  and  their  widths  as  the  lines  approach  the  center. 
The  entire  cipher,  when  made  plain  and  de\  oid  of  such  ornaments 
as  here  shown,  should  be  composed  of  exactly  the  same  number  of 
lines  from  beginning  to  end  ; the  widths  of  the  bars  being  increased 
and  diminished  by  increasing  and  diminishing  the  widths  and 
distances  apart  of  the  lines. 

We  have  here  shown  the  oval  parallel  line  cipher  ornamented, 
as  such  a cipher  is  quite  difficult  to  cut.  The  upper  portion  of  the 
initial  C in  this  cipher  is  left  unfinished  to  illustrate  the  method  of 
cutting.  The  dotted  lines  indicated  by  H are  left  to  show  the 
student  the  outline  of  the  original  sketch.  Engravers  differ  as  to 
the  best  method  of  cutting  this  style  of  cipher.  Some  think  that  it 
is  best  in  cutting  it  to  outline  it  first  and  then  fill  in  between  the 
outlines  by  cutting  a line  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other, 
the  finished  side  of  which  is  shown  at  the  point  indicated  by  M, 
where  there  is  a line  on  each  side  showing  that  we  are  now  ready 
to  cut  the  second  line.  While  some  are  of  the  opinion  that  this 
is  the  proper  way  to  cut  them,  otheis  are  of  the  opinion  that  it 
is  better  to  start  on  one  side  and  cut  the  lines  over  to  the  other 
continuously.  As  to  which  method  is  better  the  student  must 
decide  for  himself.  The  cipher  can  be  engraved  very  nicely  either 
way.  Experience  has  led  us  to  believe  that  in  cutting  a monogram 
on  a large  scale  the  first  method  is  the  best.  In  cutting  on  a small 
scale  the  latter  would  be  preferred.  The  little  crescent  cuts  between 
the  leaves  showm  at  IE  are  cut  with  a square  graver.  In  fact,  the 
entire  cipher  is  cut  with  a square  graver.  The  shading  of  the  plain 
leaf  illustrated  at  E is  made  by  starting  the  lines  at  the  pointed  end 
and  cutting  into  the  original  outside  line,  allowing  them  to  uniformly 
taper  down  to  the  outer  line,  the  curve  of  which  is  to  conform  to 
the  oval  of  the  bar.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  extreme  accuracy 
of  the  lines  must  be  observed  in  order  to  produce  this  effect,  and 
no  student  in  the  art,  without  considerable  skill  in  the  use  of  the 
graver,  should  attempt  to  cut  the  cipher  in  this  style. 

One  skilled  in  cutting  the  regular  fine-line  ciphers  would 
experience  little  difficulty  in  executing  these  ciphers.  It  will  be 
seen  here  as  in  other  cases,  and  in  almost  all  cases  of  ornamental 


i82 


The  Aj't  of  Engraving. 


ciphers,  that  it  is  often  convenient  and  advisable  to  place  half  of  a 
regular  size  ornament  inside  of  some  loop  or  bar  of  a letter.  This 
cipher  is  shaded  where  one  bar  comes  over  or  under  another. 
This  shading  is  effected  by  making  very  fine  lines,  the  width  of 
which  is  increased,  and  the  size  of  which  is  diminished,  as  they  are 
cut  outward  from  the  bar  that  is  on  top.  The  cipher  here  shown 
is  after  the  form  necessary  for  a round  cipher.  It  will  be  seen  here 
that  the  middle  letter  is  a trifle  higher  and  lower  than  the  other  two 
letters.  Care  should  be  taken  that  the  outside  letters  are  the  same 
height. 

A cipher  of  the  form  of  the  one  here  shown  can  be  cut  in  a 
great  many  different  styles.  The  top  portion  of  each  loop,  which 
is  indicated  here  by  the  leaf  from  the  left  top  of  the  center  of  the 
curve  above  the  cipher,  should  always  be  cut  the  same  as  previously 
shown.  Under  the  left,  at  the  point  indicated  by  the  line  U,  the 
style  of  the  letter  can  be  changed.  It  could  be  outlined  and  filled 
in  with  all  the  various  styles  of  borders  that  we  have  mentioned, 
and  such  fillings  we  will  have  occasion  to  mention  later  on  in 
reference  to  block  monograms.  It  could  always  be  cut  by  the 
regular  fine-line  method,  which  is  probably  one  of  the  most  ordinary 
ways  of  cutting  it.  It  is  much  easier  to  cut  it  in  this  way,  and 
possibly  it  could  be  done  with  greater  rapidity.  If  the  cipher  were 
engraved  on  a satin-finished  surface  it  may  be  cut  bright  cut  below 
the  leaf,  in  which  case  the  bright-cut  lines,  or  whatever  else  this 
portion  of  the  letter  may  consist  of,  would  be  made  the  same  style 
around  to  the  next  leaf,  or  half  leaf,  at  which  point  the  style  would 
again  change  to  parallel  lines,  and  continue  in  parallel  lines  around 
to  the  middle  of  the  next  curve  or  the  next  leaf.  It  is  needless  to 
enumerate  the  various  styles  of  cutting  this  portion  of  a cipher. 
It  suffices  to  say  that  it  can  be  cut  in  almost  any  way  possible  to 
cut  a script  cipher,  allowing  the  top  of  the  same  from  the  leaf  E or 
lU around  to  the  center  of  the  curve  above,  to  always  be  made  of 
parallel  lines  as  here  shown  and  producing  an  oval  effect.  If  this 
portion  of  the  letter  is  made  to  produce  an  oval  effect,  and  the 
under  portion  at  G to  produce  a flat  surface,  the  contrast  will 
increase  the  prominence  of  the  cipher  and  add  to  its  artistic  effect. 

A cipher  after  the  general  outline  of  the  one  here  shown  can 
be  made  complete  of  fine  lines,  including  the  upper  portion  of  the 
lines,  but  such  a monogram  is  very  difficult  to  cut,  and  the  resultant 
effect  is  not  sufficient  to  warrant  the  amount  of  work.  A cipher 


Parallel  Line  Ciphers.  183 

can  also  be  cut  in  this  form  on  satin-finished  surfaces,  or  any  dead- 
ened surfaces,  by  cutting  half  of  the  bar  and  ornaments  on  one  side 
with  a flat-faced  graver  ; then  on  the  other  side  up  to  the  middle 
with  a shade  stroke  of  equal  width,  thereby  making  a cross  section 
of  the  incisions  pyramid-shaped. 

There  are  a great  many  little  original  ideas  in  cutting  ciphers 
that  it  would  not  be  practical  to  enumerate  in  a work  of  this  char- 
acter. Our  aim  is  to  give  to  the  student  the  most  practical  styles, 
which  will  form  a basis  for  such  additional  ideas  as  he  may  originate 
himself,  but  we  must  caution  him  against  thinking  that  some  new 
ideas  of  his  own  may  be  far  superior  to  those  of  some  of  the  most 
skilled  engravers.  His  supposed  new  ideas  may  be  very  old  to 
the  experienced  workman. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


FLOWER  LEAF  CIPHERS. 


Of  all  the  various  styles  of  ciphers  the  style  known  as  the 
“flower  leaf”  is  probably  the  most  elaborate.  It  is  difflcult  to 
decide  what  style  of  leaf  to  advise  a student  to  practice,  as  there 
are  various  styles  of  flower  leaves,  or  leaves  of  other  kinds,  applied 
to  letters.  We  often  find  ciphers  engraved  with  a leaf  curving 
around  on  the  main  stroke  of  the  letter,  and  again  we  find  ciphers 
that  are  completely  covered  in  and  around  them  with  leaves.  Such 
elaborate  designs  are,  however,  mostly  engraved  to  show  the  ability 
of  the  artist  ; in  other  words,  made  as  samples  of  the  artist’s  work. 
While  it  is  advisable  to  make  ciphers  ornamental,  they  will  be  more 
artistic  if  the  ornamental  features  are  not  carried  too  far.  If  a 
cipher  is  ornamented  too  elaborately  it  detracts  from  its  legibility. 
It  is  surprising  how  many  people  are  unable  to  read  even  a plain 
cipher.  Consequently,  a cipher  should  be  made  as  readable  as 
possible,  which  necessitates  its  being  rather  plain  in  general  outline. 
Then  the  ornaments  should  be  so  added  as  not  to  detract  too  much 
from  the  general  appearance  of  the  foundation  of  the  cipher. 
Students  are  not  infrequently  partial  to  the  so-called  flower  leaf 
ciphers.  This  is  due,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  in  these  ciphers 
they  find  possibly  more  opportunity  to  display  their  artistic  talent 
than  in  any  other. 

In  presenting  the  cipher  shown  at  Fig.  i88  we  have  selected  a 
style  of  leaf  much  used  by  skilled  engravers,  and  yet  one  of  such 


ornaments  such  as  can  be  used  to  fill  in  and  around  a cipher.  The 


however,  for  the  benefit  of  the 


Fig.  188 


simplicity  that  it  will  be  easy  to 
master.  This  leaf  should  be  placed 
on  the  widest  part  of  all  shade 
strokes  where  it  will  not  conflict 
with  any  other  loops  or  bars.  The 
cipher  can  be  made  perfectly  plain 
with  the  exception  of  the  leaf  on 
the  shade  strokes.  We  have  here, 
student  added  smaller  leaves  and 


184 


Flower  Leaf  Ciphers. 


185 


background  or  foundation  of  the  cipher  shown  at  Fig.  188  is  com- 
posed of  parallel  lines  made  to  produce  an  oval  effect  in  the  bars  of 
the  letters.  While  we  show  the  cipher  here  in  this  style,  we  wish 
to  advise  the  student  that  the  most  common  style  of  cutting  flower 
leaf  ciphers  is  to  cut  a fine  line  foundation  for  letters.  They  are 
sometimes  engraved  by  outlining  the  bars  of  the  letters  and  then 
cross-lining  them  and  filling  them  in  with  the  various  styles  of 
fillings  for  block  ciphers  and  old  English  letters.  This  is,  however, 
not  as  practical  as  the  fine  line  and  the  style  here  shown. 

At  B,  Fig.  188,  we  illustrate  the  flower  leaf  on  a large  scale, 
showing  the  student  its  general  outline.  In  cutting  this  leaf  the 
outlines  should  be  engraved  first,  care  being  taken  to  shade  the  leaf 
at  the  points  where  they  are  shown  shaded  here.  It  will  be  observed 
that  there  are  only  three  lines  in  the  main  part  of  the  leaf  composing 
the  shading,  that  is,  apart  from  the  cross  lines — the  number  of 
which  does  not  matter.  This  is  the  portion  of  the  leaf  that  gives 
the  student  most  trouble,  as  he  does  not  make  these  lines  all  radiate 
from  the  same  point,  or  run  through  to  the  same  destination,  as  he 
ought  to.  It  will  be  observed  here  that  the  lines  all  radiate  from 
and  taper  down  to  the  left  side  of  the  leaf.  This,  from  an  art 
standpoint,  is  necessary  in  order  to  produce  the  effect  of  the  leaf 
being  curved  at  that  portion.  The  object  of  curving  the  line  of  the 
leaf  near  the  extreme  right  point  is  to  give  it  the  effect  of  being 
sunken  in  at  that  point.  This  leaf  will  give  the  student  some 
difficulty  until  he  has  mastered  the  idea  of  its  construction,  and  has 
become  familiar  with  the  number  of  lines  necessary  in  forming  it. 
No  attempt  should  be  made  to  shade  the  leaf  until  after  it  has  been 
cut  in  outline  complete. 

A cipher  of  this  description  can  be  made  in  what  is  known  as 
a double  flower  leaf  cipher.  The  difference  between  such  style  and 
the  one  here  shown  is,  that  on  the  main  shade  strokes  of  the  letters 
there  are  two  leaves,  one  protruding  downward  and  the  other 
upward.  Between  the  two  leaves  there  can  be  a different  filling 
from  that  in  the  remaining  portion  of  the  cipher.  Such  work  as 
vermicelli,  beadwork,  etc.,  can  be  engraved  in  between  these  two 
prominent  leaves,  while  the  remaining  portion  of  the  letter  could  be 
engraved  in  the  style  here  shown.  The  main  leaves  of  the  cipher 
should  be  the  same,  not  necessarily  the  same  size  but  as  nearly  so 
as  space  would  permit,  and  as  nearly  the  same  shape  as  possible  in 
the  space  ; but  the  small  fancy  cuts  or  portions  of  leaves  protruding 


i86 


The  Art  of  Eyigraving. 


from  the  various  loops  and  bars  of  the  letters  are  not  necessarily 
engraved  the  same.  In  fact,  these  are  usually  an  innovation  of  the 
artist  as  he  proceeds  with  the  work  ; he  making  them  in  such 
shape  and  size  as  is  deemed  necessary  to  fill  the  space  artistically. 
We  have  previously  mentioned  the  fact  that  it  is  advisable  to  design 
all  ciphers  perfectly  plain  first,  then  add  the  leaves  or  other 
ornamentation. 

It  would  seem  to  the  student  in  looking  at  the  cipher  at 
Fig.  1 88  as  if  he  should  make  the  ornaments  as  he  was  sketching 
the  cipher.  This  is  entirely  wrong.  The  cipher  here  shown  was 
designed  perfectly  plain  first  in  outline,  then  the  main  leaves  were 
added.  Some  of  the  little  ornaments,  or  portions  of  leaves,  were 
not  designed  at  all,  but  cut  as  they  were  needed  when  cutting  the 
cipher.  Of  course,  for  the  student  it  would  be  advisable  to  design 
the  cipher  in  outline  complete,  and  then  to  add  all  the  little  orna- 
ments complete  ; not  depending  upon  his  eye  to  cut  any  of  the 
ornaments.  Skilled  artists,  however,  can  make  such  little  cuts  with 
as  much  accuracy  without  the  aid  of  a previous  sketch  as  with  it, 
and  time  is  saved  in  this  way.  The  same  general  style  of  leaf  as 
here  shown  can  be,  and  often  is,  twisted  and  formed  in  somewhat 
different  shapes.  Some  engravers  will  make  them  more  blunt 
on  the  end  and  some  more  pointed.  The  one  we  have  selected, 
however,  will  probably  be  found  the  best  for  general  use. 

A flower  leaf  cipher  well  engraved  necessitates  a large  amount 
of  work  and  much  skill.  In  fact,  in  the  flower  leaf  ciphers  we  find 
the  artistic  abilities  of  the  engraver  brought  out  to  their  fullest 
extent.  This  being  true,  the  student  is  advised  to  engrave  this 
style  until  he  has  mastered  it  thoroughly,  as  the  work  of  cutting  it 
is  very  effective  in  developing  his  ability  both  from  an  artistic  and 
mechanical  point  of  view. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


BLOCK  CIPHERS. 


At  Vig.  189  we  illustrate  the  complete  alphabet  in  block  mono- 
gram. There  are  many  different  styles  of  block  monograms  and  many 
different  styles  and  ideas  of  entwining  them.  It  would  not  be  prac- 
tical for  us  to  give  time  and  space  to  the  various  styles  of  fillings,  etc. 
The  student  will,  however,  from  the  illustrations  here  given,  gain 

sufficient  information  to  develop  into 
a good  monogram  engraver.  The 
first  thing  to  do  in  engraving  a block 
monogram  on  a watch  case,  or  any 
other  round  surface,  is  to  first  make 
the  circle  and  lines,  as  shown  at 
Fig.  173,  which  gives  the  student  all 
of  the  necessary  lines  for  drawing 
the  monogram  with  great  accuracy. 

In  engraving  a block  mono- 
gram it  is  necessary  to  make  three 
different  shaped  letters,  one  oblong, 
one  medium  and  another  full  or 
grotesque.  By  making  the  letters 
in  this  way  we  find  it  very  easy  to  entwine  any  three  letters  in  the 
alphabet,  and  if  the  student  will  observe  any  three-letter  monogram 
that  may  come  to  his  attention  he  will  find 
that  there  is  one  long  letter  and  one  very 
broad  letter  and  one  medium  shaped. 

There  is  one  very  common  error  in 
monogram  engraving,  which  we  must 
criticise  at  this  point,  and  advise  the 
student  in  reference  to  before  we  give  any 
ideas  of  entwining.  We  show  at  Fig.  190 
a monogram  beautifully  engraved  from  a 
standpoint  of  accuracy,  and  yet  crowded 
at  the  top  and  through  the  center  and  at 

the  base.  This  is  one  of  the  common  errors  in  block  monograms 
and  in  cipher  also.  This  monogram  could  be  made  very  artistic 


Fif;^.  189 


187 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


1 88 


and  devoid  of  such  crowding,  as  the  samples  to  follow  will  show. 
Another  fault  of  the  monogram  here  given  is  that  the  styles  of 
filling  are  so  similar  that  there  is  not  a sufficient  distinction  be- 
tween the  letters.  A block  monogram,  in  order  to  be  readable, 
should  have  different  kinds  of  filling.  Most  block  monograms  are 
so  made  that  each  of  the  three  letters  will  touch  the  circle  in  which 
they  are  engraved.  Some,  however,  are  made  on  different  lines. 
Usually  block  monograms  are  filled  on  the  inside  of  the  general 
outline. 

Students  in  the  art  of  engraving  appreciate  the  value  of  samples 
of  monograms  or  monogram  designs,  and  often  make  inquiries  as 


Fig.  191 


Fig.  193 


to  where  such  samples  may  be  procured.  The  best  collection  of 
monograms  known  to  the  author  is  ‘ ‘ The  Keystone  Portfolio 
of  Monograms,”  containing  I2i  different  designs  and  quite  a 
variety  of  combinations.  This  useful  portfolio  can  be  procured 
from  The  Keystone  for  50  cents.  By  way  of  an  object  lesson  in 
block-monogram  engraving  we  here  reproduce  a few  specimens 
taken  from  the  portfolio,  each  illustrating  some  point  that  merits 
the  special  attention  of  the  student. 

At  Fig.  191  we  show  a monogram  which  is  without  the  fault 
of  crowding  and  shading,  to  which  we  called  attention  in  Fig.  190. 
Attention  is  also  directed  to  the  style  of  entwining  and  to  the 
protrusion  of  portions  of  leaves  from  the  principal  letter. 

Most  block  monograms  are  engraved  perfectly  round.  Some- 
times, however,  the  engraver  has  occasion  to  engrave  them  oblong. 


Block  Ciphers. 


189 


We  illustrate  at  Fig.  192  a monogram  engraved  oblong.  In  this 
case  the  instruction  given  in  reference  to  making  a circle  would 
apply,  excepting  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  make  an  ellipse  and 
then  draw  the  necessary  guide  lines,  as  shown  at  Fig.  173.  The  S 
in  this  monogram  has  the  artistic  features  of  a flower  leaf  cipher 
letter,  the  bars  of  the  letters  being  parallel  and  composed  of  orna- 
ments representing  to  some  extent  the  outline  of  a leaf.  It  will  be 
seen  that  the  line  work  to  make  this  style  of  letter  is  something 
after  the  style  used  in  making  an  oval  parallel  line  monogram,  and 
the  shading  of  the  ornaments  is  the  same  or  somewhat  similar  to 
the  shading  of  leaves  in  flower  leaf  ciphers.  Great  accuracy  is  de- 


Fig.  193 


AR. 

Fig.  194 


manded  in  cutting  these  shade  strokes.  The  cross  lining  of  the  C 
in  this  combination  can  be  done  with  a flat-face  graver,  round-face 
graver  or  a square  graver.  If  the  strokes  are  to  be  heavy  a round- 
face  graver  can  be  used  to  advantage.  All  the  fine-line  cross  lines 
are  done  with  a flat-face  graver. 

At  Fig.  193  we  illustrate  a very  beautiful  monogram,  the  design 
of  which  is  something  beyond  the  ordinary  from  an  artistic  stand- 
point, as  in  such  a combination  it  is  difficult  to  obviate  crowding 
the  bottom  of  the  A and  H at  the  base.  The  artist,  however,  in 
this  case  has  thrown  the  bars  of  the  A around  in  such  a way  as  to 
fill  in  the  vacant  space  on  the  right  and  left  of  the  H,  and  at  the 
same  time  has  so  utilized  the  material  of  the  A as  to  make  it  com- 
plete and  oval.  A monogram  of  this  style  can  be  engraved 
complete  with  a square  graver.  The  vermicelli  filling  in  the  A is 


190  The  Art  of  Engraving. 

made  by  making  little  crescent  cuts  with  the  square  graver,  as  close 
together  as  possible.  The  H is  made  by  parallel  lines  as  previously 
described. 

At  Fig.  194  we  illustrate  a monogram  of  two  letters  A A,  it 
being,  of  course,  pointed  at  the  top,  yet  this  monogram  is  made  in 
such  a way  that  the  combination  would  fill  a circle  to  advantage. 
The  artist,  in  designing  this  monogram,  evidences  much  ability 
as  a monogram  artist. 

In  cutting  a block  monogram  the  style  of  shading  in  cutting 
on  a watch  case  is  usually  fine  lines,  the  same  as  in  cutting  fine- 
line  old  English,  as  previously  described.  The  most  common 


fillings  for  block  monograms  are  cross  lines  and  dots,  or  cross  lines 
and  plain  filling  and  bead  work. 

We  illustrate  a monogram  at  Fig.  195,  the  principal  letter  of 
which  is  engraved  with  a bead-work  style.  In  making  these  beads 
after  the  line  has  been  engraved  on  the  inside  of  the  delineation  or 
outline  of  the  letter,  a circle  is  engraved  for  the  bead  and  then  the 
little  lines  around  on  the  lower  right  side  of  the  circle,  producing 
the  shade  effect  which  gives  the  appearance  of  a bead.  The  black 
background  of  the  H,  here  illustrated,  is  made  by  fine  lines  or  by 
chopping  the  surface  out  between  the  beads  with  a flat-face  graver, 
as  described  for  making  the  diamond  border.  It  will  be  noticed, 
however,  that  on  the  L in  this  monogram,  a leaf  similar  to  the  style 
of  leaf  mentioned  and  illustrated  at  Fig.  188  is  used. 

We  often  have  monograms  of  combinations  that  are  very 
difficult  to  entwine,  and  a monogram  containing  an  M and  W often 
gives  the  engraver  trouble.  We  illustrate  a combination  of  L,  M,  W, 


Block  Ciphers. 


91 


at  Fig.  196,  where  a style  of  a W,  somewhat  different  in  form  from 
the  ordinary  letter  with  which  the  student  may  be  familiar  is  used, 
in  which  case  the  objectionable  features  of  this  combination  are 


188?: 
Fig.  197 


entirely  overcome.  It  will  also  be  seen  that  the  style  of  work 
around  the  W is  such  that  the  leaf  similar  to  the  flower  leaf 
previously  described  can  be  used  to  advantage.  The  filling  on  the 
M is  made  by  making  a heavy  and  a light  line  alternately. 


Fig.  199 


V/.s-ix 

Fig.  200 


At  Fig.  197  we  illustrate  a monogram  of  four  figures.  The  little 
dots  on  the  center  in  this  case  are  made  with  a round-face  graver. 
The  little  ornaments  around  this  monogram  are,  of  course,  done 
with  a square  graver,  and  show  the  student  how  such  little  artistic 
cuts  can  be  placed  around  a monogram  sparingly  and  produce  a 
very  artistic  effect. 


192 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


Two  W’s  in  a monogram  are  very  difficult  to  entwine.  We 
show  at  Fig.  198  a monogram,  composed  of  S W W,  showing  the 
student  how  the  two  letters  can  be  entwined  to  advantage.  It  is 
sometimes  desired  to  make  several  little  ornaments  protruding 
from  a letter  or  make  a letter  in  outline  rather  fancy  or  ornamental. 
A monogram  after  this  design  is  shown  at  Fig.  199.  The  filling  in 
this  monogram  is  rather  plain.  The  style  of  the  fillings  can  be 
arranged  to  suit  the  artist. 

One  of  the  most  common  fillings  in  use  in  high-class  mono- 
gram work  is  that  known  as  vermicelli  filling.  The  vermicelli  en- 
graved watch  cases  are  very  well  known  to  most  of  our  engravers, 


especially  those  who  are  jewelers.  This  class  of  work  requires 
considerable  skill,  and  yet  is  made  by  simply  making  a continuation 
of  little  curves  and  circles,  several  little  curves  within  a larger 
curve.  The  initial  R in  the  monogram  shown  at  Fig.  200  is  filled 
with  this  style  of  vermicelli. 

At  Fig.  201  we  illustrate  a monogram  of  the  first  three  letters 
of  the  alphabet,  showing  a very  neat  combination  and  some  little 
fancy  ornaments  added  thereon  that  can  be  applied  to  many  other 
styles  of  letters.  The  beads  on  the  B are  also  made  very  delicately, 
which  shows  another  way  to  use  the  beads  to  advantage. 

A block  monogram  can  be  engraved  to  advantage  on  a very 
elaborate  scale  if  the  engraver  has  a perfectly  plain  case  to  engrave 
on,  by  engraving  the  letters  rather  plain  in  outline,  something 
similar  to  the  combination  shown  at  Fig.  202.  No  filling  is 


Fig.  201 


Fig,  202 


Block  Ciphers. 


193 


engraved  in  the  letters,  which  are  left  perfectly  plain,  the  vermicelli 
style  of  engraving  previously  mentioned  being  then  cut  in  and 
around  the  letters.  This  style  is  som.etimes  engraved  by  cutting 
around  the  letters,  making  little  cuts  nearly  triangle  shape  with  a 
square  graver,  and  so  close  together  that  there  would  be  none  of 
the  original  surface  left.  This  would  leave  the  letters  perfectly 
plain,  and  the  case  all  around  and  in  between  the  letters  fully 
engraved,  the  effect  of  which  is  very  beautiful.  Of  course,  it  would 
be  necessary  in  a case  of  this  kind  to  engrave  the  case  all  over  the 
same  style  or  make  a circle  of  the  same  on  the  front  case. 

We  often  have  monograms  of  more  than  three  letters.  We 


Fig.  203 


fA.l.O. 

Fig.  204 


show  a monogram  of  five  letters  at  Fig.  203,  showing  the  student 
that  if  the  letters  are  changed  in  form  by  making  some  of  the  letters 
very  full  and  the  others  very  slim,  even  a five-letter  combination  is 
not  a difficult  task. 

The  monogram  shown  at  Fig.  204  gives  the  student  many 
points  in  reference  to  the  ways  of  ending  of  letters. 

We  sometimes  have  a request  for  what  is  known  as  rustic 
monograms.  In  other  words,  a cipher  made  to  produce  the  appear- 
ance of  a branch  of  a tree.  We  illustrate  a monogram  at  Fig.  205, 
two  letters  of  which  are  made  after  this  style.  It  will  be  seen  that 
the  filling  is  very  easily  done,  and  the  student  who  has  followed  our 
lines  of  instruction  thus  far  is  familiar  with  the  cutting.  It  is  simply 
a matter  of  cutting  shade  strokes  with  a square  graver,  producing 
the  effect  of  irregular  outline. 


194 


The  Art  of  Engraving. 


We  illustrate  a three-letter  rustic  monogram  at  Fig.  206, 
showing  a very  odd  combination. 

At  Fig.  207  we  illustrate  a combination  showing  how  the  lower 


portion  of  a P can  be  thrown  around  to  the  right  to  fill  in  a space  in 
order  to  make  a monogram  round. 

We  have  previously  mentioned  the  fact  that  the  most  common 


4D.E  AWK- 

Fig.  207  Fig.  208 

fillings  for  block  monograms  are  the  parallel  line,  beads  and  dots. 
We  show  a monogram  made  after  this  style  of  filling  at  Fig.  208. 

At  Fig.  209  we  illustrate  a combination  showing  a style  of 
fancy  filling  in  the  B which  is  worthy  of  the  consideration  of  the 
student.  In  designing  a block  monogram  the  student  should  usually 


Block  Ciphers. 


195 


•H.F.'B. 

Fig.  «oy 


first  make  the  full  or  broad  letter  ; then  the  medium  letter,  and 
then  fill  in  the  oblong  letter.  Of  course,  there  are  combinations 
where  this  rule  would  not  apply.  Block  monograms  are  first 
designed  by  making  the  outline  plain  but 
very  accurate,  after  which  it  is  advisable  to 
scratch  the  designs  on  with  the  steel  point 
of  the  stylus  ; the  designing  material,  be 
it  what  it  may,  either  wax  or  Chinese  white 
being  then  rubbed  off.  Then  we  have  the 
clean,  smooth  surface  of  the  metal  to  work 
on.  In  cutting  a block  monogram  it  does 
not  matter  whether  the  first,  middle  or  last 
letter  is  cut  first.  Usually,  however,  it  is  the 
custom  of  most  engravers  to  cut  the  last 
initial  first.  In  engraving  a block  monogram 

the  student  should  make  the  last  letter  of  the  initial  the  heavier  or 
most  prominent.  This  can  be  done  by  either  increasing  the  width 
of  the  bars  of  the  letter  or  by  making  the  filling  more  prominent 
than  any  of  the  others.  By  observing  the  designs  we  have  shown 
it  will  be  seen  that  this  is  the  rule  carried  out. 

One  of  the  most  elaborate  styles  of  shading  a block  monogram 
is  by  making  little  cross  lines,  all  of  which  should  be  made  on  the 
same  angle — starting  from  the  inside  of  the  shade  stroke  and 
protruding  to  the  outside.  This  method  of  shading  is  illustrated  at 
Fig.  210,  where  we  show  a bar  of  a letter, 
the  line  B being  the  inside  of  the  stroke 
and  the  line  A the  outside  of  the  lower 
portion  of  this  bar  which  we  have  shaded, 
showing  the  student  how  the  lines  are  made. 
These  lines  should  be  so  close  together  that 
there  is  no  visible  surface  between  them. 
Some  surface  is  shown  in  the  illustration 


here  given  in  order  to  show  the  student  how 
the  lines  are  made,  but  in  actual  work  the  lines  start  on  the 
line  B and  are  very  close  together.  In  fact,  one  line  reaches  up 

to  the  edge  of  the  other.  Then,  as  the  graver  is  pushed  for- 
ward, it  is  pushed  in  deeper,  thereby  increasing  the  width  of 
the  incision.  By  cutting  the  shade  stroke  in  this  style  it  gives 
the  monogram  the  appearance  of  being  raised  much  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  metal  upon  which  it  is  cut. 


196 


The  Art  of  Engraving . 


The  common  error  of  students  in  cutting  this  style  of  shade  is 
that  they  do  not  cut  the  lines  all  in  the  same  angle.  As  previously 
mentioned  they  should  all  be  cut  on  the  same  angle,  it  matters  not 
whether  they  are  on  top,  at  the  extreme  right,  or  end  a bar  of  a 
letter.  In  cutting  this  style  of  shade  strokes  it  is  the  practice  of  the 
best  engravers  not  to  cut  the  line  B until  after  the  shade  cuts  have 
all  been  made,  in  which  case  we  must  gage  the  distance  between 
the  line  B and  the  outside  of  the  stroke  A by  the  eye  ; it  being 
necessary,  of  course,  to  increase  and  decrease  the  length  of  these 
lines  according  to  the  width  of  the  shade  stroke.  Then  after  the 
shade  strokes  have  all  been  cut,  the  line  B can  be  engraved  around 
and  the  edges  of  the  same  trimmed  off  with  great  accuracy.  There 
is  no  objection  to  cutting  the  line  B first  if  the  engraver  so  desires. 

We  bring  this  treatise  to  a close  by  advising  the  student  to 
continually  avail  himself  of  the  opportunity  to  closely  examine 
specimens  of  fine  engraving  and  to  practice  the  ideas  and  methods 
herein  given  until  he  is  master  of  the  various  styles  which  we  have 
illustrated  and  which  are  necessary  in  his  particular  case.  One  of 
the  important  points  for  a beginner  to  remember  is,  that  he  will  be 
expected  to  do  his  work  with  great  rapidity  and  accuracy.  An 
engraver  should  be  able  to  engrave  a monogram  in  a very  few 
minutes  in  order  to  accomplish  the  work  with  the  speed  required 
by  most  large  stores.  Consequently,  the  student  should  practice 
doing  the  work  with  rapidity  after  he  has  attained  the  all-important 
feature  of  accuracy.  Engraving,  as  before  said,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  arts  in  existence,  and  the  student  should  appreciate  the 
fact  that  in  his  work  he  is  classified  as  an  artist,  and  should  endeavor 
to  make  himself  worthy  of  the  name.  To  aid  him  in  this  effort  is 
the  object  of  this  treatise. 


INDEX 


B 

Bangles 127 

Borders  and  Bars  for  ....  . . 12‘J 

Fan  Border 130 

Wriggling 120 

Bead  Work  100 

Block,  Diamontine  and  Boxwood  . . .28 

Block,  Engraver’s 24 

Block  Alphabet 187 

Block  Ciphers 187 

Block  Letters 35 

Bars  in 35,  40 

Cap 122 

Cutting 40 

Drawing  . . 39 

Fancy 123 

Shading 43,  125 

Wriggling 42 

Block  Monograms 194 

Shading 195 

Block-shaded  Line 125 

Bon-Bon  Dish,  Engraving  a 25 


c 

Capital  Stems 50 

Celluloid  Rule 81 

Cement,  Engraver’s 23 

Chinese  White 23 

Ciphers  . . 165 

Block 187 

Block  Alphabet 137 

Bright  Cut 166 

Bright  Cut  on  Polished  Surface  . . 167 

Britannia  Metal,  on .175 

Chop  Cut  Ornament  in 177 

Curved  Strokes  in 177 

Designing  and  Engraving 165 

Designing  in  a Circle  168 

Entwined 174 

Fine  Line 166 

Flower  Leaf 185 

Flower  Leaf,  Doable 185 

Lily  Ornament  on 175 

Loops  in  174 

On  Oblong  Dishes  or  Trays  ....  171 

On  Polished  Silver 166 

On  Teaspoons 166 


Ciphers 

Ornamentation  of 172,  174 

Ornament  for  Fine  Line 178 

Parallel  Line 180 

Parallelism  in 168 

Ribbon  Work  in 178 

Sketching 168 

Twisting 179 

Circle,  Finding  the  Center  of  a 17 

Circle  Passing  Through  Three  Points  . 18 
Circles,  Describing  and  Engraving  ...  19 
Coffin  Plates,  Engraving 80 

D 

DcTni-IIunter,  A 11 

Designing  Wax 80 

Diamontine  and  Boxwood  Block  ....  28 
Diminishing  the  Size  of  Objects  ....  16 
Drawing  Board 14 


E 

Ellipse,  Drawing  an 21,  22 

Emery  Paper,  French  0000  23 

Engraving,  First  Exercises  in  ...  30 

On  Zinced  Copper 30 

Enlarging  the  Size  of  Objects  . ...  16 

Equilateral  Triangle  17 


E 

Fine  Lines,  Cutting 

Flower-Leaf  Cipher 
Flower-Leaf  Cipher,  Double 
Fork  Handles,  Engraving  on 
Finding  Space  Center  . . 
Placing  Initials  on  . . . 


G 

German  Text 141 

Gothic  Letters 37,  45 

Graver,  Bright  Cutting  28 

Condition  of  for  Engraving  Watch 

Cap 149 

Exact  Length  for  the 24 

For  Novice’s  Use 24 

Grinding  a 25 

Grinding  Under  Side  of 25 

Heeling  Up  a 26 

Holding  the 24 

In  Cipher  Cutting 167,  172 

Keeping  Graver  Cool  25 


167 

185 

185 

156 

157 
157 


197 


198 


The  Art  of  Eiigraving . 


Graver 

Line 45 

Polishing  a 28,  33 

Polishing  the  Flat-Faced  . . . 34 

Eough  Edge 27 

Sharpening  a 26,  33 

Slipping  of  a 172 

The  Flat-Faced  33 

Whetting  on  Oilstone 27 

Gravers,  Case  for 89 

Greek  Letters 156 

H 

Hair  Line,  Cutting  a 31 

Hair  Line  of  Beauty,  Error  in  Shading  50 

Hair  Line,  Vertical 165 

Hardwood,  Block  of 23 

Hebrew  Letters 126 

Hexagon,  Inscribing  a 19 

1 

Initials,  Drooping 162 

Inscriptions  in  Different  Styles  of 

Letters 151 

Inscriptions  in  Script,  Roman  and  Old 

English 152 

Inscriptions,  Making  Curves  in  . . . 153 

Iuscrii)tion  Work,  Difficulty  of  ...  . 153 
Italics 124 

Knife  Handles,  Engraving  on 156 

Finding  S])ace  Center  of 157 

Placing  Initials  on 156 


o 

Octic  Letter 37 

Odd  Letters 121 

Italics 124 

Japanese  Letters 121 

Picadilly  Letters 121 

Oilstone  23,  29 

Old  English 97 

Bright  Cut  Letters 105 

Cutting 101 

Cutting  Bars  of 101 

Cutting  on  Pearl  or  Ivory 116 

Favorite  Style  of 140 

Fine  Line  . 112 

Fine  Line  and  Bright  Cut  Com- 
bined   116 

Lapping  of  Bars  in 102 

Ornamental  Capitals  in 137 

Ornamental  Scrolls  in 138 

Ornamental  Work  for  Inscriptions 

in  139 

Roll  Cut  in . . 104,  108 

Shaded  134 

Shade  Strokes  in  134 

Styles  of  Filling  in 135 

Uses  and  Styles  of  . , • Ill 

Wriggling 106,  111 

Ovals ....  53 

Pad,  A Sand  Bag 23 

Parallel  Lines 30 

Perpendicular,  Erecting  a 18 

Picadilly  Letters  121 

Protractor,  A 13 


Lamp,  An  Alcohol 23 

Line  of  Beauty 166 

Lines,  Crescent 31 

Straight 32 

Lockets,  Engraving  162 

Proportions  of  Lettering  for  ....  163 
Loops 53 


M 

Match  Box,  Engraving  a 78 

^Materials  for  Beginner 23 

Measuring,  Means  of ...  24 

Mechanical  Drawing  13 

Exercises 17 

Medals,  Engraving  129 

Monograms,  Styles  of 188 

Block  194 

Rustic 193 

Script  174 

Music,  Bar  of 125 


R 

Rings,  Engraving  Inside  of 86 

Roman  Alphabet  and  Figures 120 

Roman  Letters,  Cutting 117 

Wriggling 120 

Rouge,  Washing  off 150 

Rule,  A Parallel . . 14 

Rule,  Celluloid 81 

Rustic  Monograms 193 

Three-Letter 194 


3 

Script 47 

Alphabet  of 48,  49,  61 

Capitals  in 61 

Compared  with  Old  English  ....  152 

Entwined 165 

Essentials  of 33 

Fancy  Letters  in  68 

Fancy  Words  in 73 

French  Script 124 


Index. 


199 


Script 

Initials,  Names  and  Figures  ...  77 

Inscriptions ...  91,  143 

Line  of  Beauty 50 

Looped  Numerals 72 

Looped  Style  of 68,  72 

Looped  Styles  of  Vertical 75 

Lower-Case  Letters  in 54 

Lower  Loops  in 57 

Numerals . . 67 

On  Coffin  Plates  80 

On  Fork  Handles 78 

On  Ivory  and  Pearl 94 

On  Lockets  77 

On  Match  Boxes 78 

On  Pin  Trays 79 

On  Rings 88 

On  Seals 95 

On  Teaspoons 94,  77,  127 

On  Thimbles  88 

Ovals  and  Loops  in  53 

Round-hand 74 

Running  or  Entwined 159 

Scroll 79,  83 

Shade  Strokes  of  Lower-Case  liCtters  59 

Sketching  48 

Spacing 82,.  146 

Scraper,  A 173 

Scroll  Lines 31 

Shading 32 

Block  Letters 43,  125 

Sketching  Letters 48 

Size  of  Objects,  Diminishing  ......  16 

Of  Objects,  Enlarging 16 

Spoon  Handles  77,  155,  162 

Engraving  Ciphers  on 159,  162 

Entwining 159 

Finding  Space  Center  of 157 

Initials  for  Ciphers  on 158 

Monogram  Cutting  on 160 

Placing  Initials  on 156 

Running  or  Entwined  Script  on  . . 159 

Square,  A Carpenter’s 13 

Drawing  a 17 

In  a Circle,  Inscribing  a 21 

The  T 15 


Stems,  Capital  . . 50 

Straight-edge,  A 23 

Stylus 23 

T 

Table  for  Engravers 90 

Tangent,  Drawing  a 20 

Teaspoon  Bowls 94 

Etching 128 

Teaspoon  Handles 77,  155 

Technical  Training 11 

Thimbles,  Engraving  on 86 

Tools  for  Beginners 23 

Transfer  Wax 23 

Formula  for 23 

Triangles 14,  17 

Turntable,  Engraver’s 84 


V 

Vermicelli  Filling 189,  192 


w 

Watch-Case  Engraving 93,  143 

Block  Monograms  in 187 

Condition  of  (jraver  in 149 

Cutting  Letters  in 148 

Different  Styles  of  Letters  . . . 151 

Engraving  on  Plain  Case  ....  192 

Gold-Filled,  Engraving  on 150 

Holding  Case  in  ...  . . . 149 

Polishing  in  . 150 

Prevention  of  Denting 144 

Removing  Cap 144 

Removing  Wax 149 

Shade  Strokes 147 

Size  of  Letters 145 

Size  of  jMonogram 150 

Spacing 146 

Washing  off  Rouge 150 

Wax,  Designing 80 

Removing  149 

Transfer 23 


THE  KEYSTONE  PORTFOLIO 
OF  MONOGRAMS 


This  portfolio  contains  121  com- 
bination designs.  These  designs 
were  selected  from  the  best  of  those 
submitted  in  a prize  competition 
held  by  The  Keystone,  and  will  be 
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The  portfolio  is  a bench  require- 
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THE 


WATCH  ADJUSTER’S  MANUAL 

■ A Complete  and  Practical  Guide  for 
Watchmakers  in  Adjustini:  Watches 
and  Chronometers  for  Isochronism, 
Position,  Heat  and  Cold. 


BY  CHARLES  Edgar  Fritts  (excelsior), 

Author  of  “ Practical  Hints  on  Watch  Repairing,”  ‘‘Practical  Treatise  on  Balance 
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This  well-known  work  is  now  recognized  as  the  standard 
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Watch  and  Clock  Escapements 


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mathematical  or  geometrical  attainments.  Any  watchmaker, 
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It  is  conceded  to  be  the  most  complete  and  lucid  work  on 
the  three  principal  escapements  available  to  students  of  horology. 

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THE  OPTICIAN’S  MANUAL 

VOL.  I. 

By  C.  H.  Brown,  M.  D. 

Graduate  University  of  Pennsylvania  ; Professor  of  Optics  and  Refraction  ; formerly 
Physician  in  Philadelphia  Hospital  ; Member  of  Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania  State  and  American  Medical  Societies. 


The  Optician’s  Manual,  Vol.  I.,  has 
proved  to  be  the  most  popular  work  on 
practical  refraction  ever  published.  The 
knowledge  it  contains  has  been  more 
effective  in  building  up  the  optical  profes- 
sion than  any  other  educational  factor. 
A study  of  it  is  essential  to  an  intelligent 
appreciation  of  Vol.  II.,  for  it  lays  the 
foundation  structure  of  all  optical  knowl- 
edge, as  the  titles  of  its  ten  chapters  show  : 

Chapter  I. — Introductory  Remarks. 

Chapter  II. — The  Eye  Anatomically. 

Chapter  HI.— The  Eye  Optically;  or,  The  Physiology  of  Vision. 
Chapter  IV.— Optics. 

Chapter  V.— Lenses. 

Chapter  VI.— Numbering  of  Lenses. 

Chapter  VII. — The  Use  and  Value  of  Glasses. 

Chapter  VIII.— Outfit  Required. 

Chapter  IX.— Method  of  Examination. 

Chapter  X.— Presbyopia. 


The  Optician’s  Manual,  Vol.  I.,  is  complete  in  itself,  and 
has  been  the  entire  optical  education  of  many  successful  opti- 
cians. For  student  and  teacher  it  is  the  best  treatise  of  its  kind, 
being  simple  in  style,  accurate  in  statement  and  comprehensive 
in  its  treatment  of  refractive  procedure  and  problems.  It  merits 
the  place  of  honor  beside  Vol.  II.  in  every  optical  library. 

Bound  in  Cloth— 422  pages— colored  plates  and  illustrations. 

Sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  $1.50  (6s.  3d.) 


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THE  OPTICIAN’S  MANUAL 

VOL.  n. 

By  C.  H.  Brown,  M.  D. 

Graduate  University  of  Pennsylvania  ; Professor  of  Optics  and  Refraction  ; formerly 
Physician  in  Philadelphia  Hospital  ; Alember  of  Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania  State  and  American  Medical  Societies. 


The  Optician's  Manual,  \"ol.  II.,  is 
a direct  continuation  of  The  Optician’s 
Manual,  \ol.  I. , being  a much  more 
ad\’anced  and  comprehensive  treatise. 
It  covers  in  minutest  detail  the  font 
great  subdivisions  of  practical  eye  refrac- 
tion,  viz  ; 

Myopia. 

Hypermetropia.  , 

Astigmatism. 

Muscular  Anomalies. 


It  contains  the  most  authoritative  and  complete  researches 
up  to  date  on  these  subjects,  treated  by  the  master  hand  of 
an  eminent  oculist  and  optical  teacher.  It  is  thoroughly  prac- 
tical,  explicit  in  statement  and  accurate  as  to  fact.  All  refrac- 
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methods  of  correction  thoroughly  elucidated. 

This  book  fills  the  last  great  want  in  higher  refracti\e 

o o 

optics,  and  the  knowledge  contained  in  it  marks  the  standard 
of  professionalism. 

Bound  in  Cloth— 408  pages— with  illustrations. 

Sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  $1.50  (6s.  3d.) 


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SKIASCOPY 

AND  THE  USE  OF  THE  RETINOSCOPE 


A Treatise  on  the  Shadow  Test  in 
its  Practical  Application  to  the 
Work  of  Refraction,  with  an  Ex- 
planation in  Detail  of  the  Optical 
Principles  on  which  the  Science 
is  Based. 


This  new  work,  the  sale  of  which  has  already  necessitated 
a second  edition,  far  excels  all  previous  treatises  on  the  subject 
in  comprehensiveness  and  practical  value  to  the  refraction ist. 
It  not  only  explains  the  test,  but  expounds  fully  and  explicitly 
the  principles  underlying  it — not  only  the  phenomena  revealed 
by  the  test,  but  the  why  and  wherefore  of  such  phenomena. 

It  contains  a full  description  of  skiascopic  apparatus, 
including  the  latest  and  most  approved  instruments. 

In  depth  of  research,  wealth  of  illustration  and  scientific 
completeness  this  work  is  unique. 

Bound  in  cloth;  contains  231  pages  and  73  illustrations 
and  colored  plates. 

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19TH  AND  Brown  Sts.,  Philadelphia,  U.S.A. 


PHYSIOLOGIC  OPTICS 

Ocular  Dioptrics — Functions  of  the  Retina— Ocular 
Movements  and  Binocular  Vision 

By  Dr.  M . Tsch erning 

Director  of  the  Laboratory  of  Ophthalmology  at  the  Sorbonne,  Paris 


AUTHORIZED  TRANSLATION 

By  Carl  Weiland.  M.D. 

Former  Chief  of  Clinic  in  the  Eye  Department  of  the  Jefferson  College  Hospital, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


This  translation,  now  in  its  second  edition,  is  the  most  masterful 
treatise  on  physiologic  optics.  Its  distinguished  author  is  recognized  in 
the  world  of  science  as  the  greatest  living  authority  on  this  subject,  and 
his  hook  embodies  not  only  his  own  researches,  but  those  of  several 
hundred  investigators,  who,  in  the  past  hundred  years,  made  the  eye  their 
specialty  and  life  study. 

Tscherning  has  sifted  the  gold  of  all  optical  research  from  the  dross, 
and  his  book,  as  revised  and  enlarged  by  himself  for  the  purposes  of  this 
translation,  is  the  most  valuable  mine  of  reliable  optical  knowledge  within 
the  reach  of  ophthalmologists.  It  contains  380  pages  and  212  illustra- 
tions, and  its  reference  list  comprises  the  entire  galaxy  of  scientists  who 
devoted  their  researches  to  this  subject. 

The  chapters  on  Ophthalmometry,  Ophthalmoscopy,  Accommodation, 
Astigmatism,  Aberration  and  Entopic  Phenomena,  etc. — in  fact,  the  entire 
book  contains  so  much  that  is  new,  practical  and  necessary  that  no 
refractionist  can  afford  to  be  without  it. 

Bound  in  Cloth.  380  Pages,  212  Illustrations 

Price,  $2.50  (lOs.  5d.) 


Published  by  The  Keystone 

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19TH  & Brown  Sts.,  Philadelphia,  U.S.A. 


Optometric  Record  Book 


A record  book,  wherein  to  record  optometric  examinations, 
is  an  indispensable  adjunct  of  an  optician’s  outfit. 

The  Keystone  Optometric  Record  Book  was  specially  pre- 
pared for  this  purpose.  It  excels  all  others  in  being  not  only  a 
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instantly  to  the  case  of  any  particular  patient. 

The  Keystone  Record  Book  diminishes  the  time  and  labor 
required  for  examinations,  obviates  possible  oversights  from 
carelessness  and  assures  a systematic  and  thorough  examination 
of  the  eye,  as  well  as  furnishes  a permanent  record  of  all  exam- 
inations. 

Sent  postpaid  on  receipt  of  SI  .OO  (4s.  2d.) 


Published  by  The  Keystone, 

THE  ORGAN  OF  THE  JEWEERY  AND  OPTICAE  TRADES, 
19TH  & Brown  Sts.,  Phieadeephia,  U.S.A. 


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